The Aranjuez City Council has put out to tender a specialized consultancy service to conduct an exhaustive study of public transport in the municipality, with a focus on urban and interurban bus services. The deadline for submitting bids was July 14.
The main objective of the study is to analyze the current service, evaluate its performance in terms of demand, supply, operation, and user perception, and propose technical improvements, optimizations, and expansions, including economic estimates. The contract is valued at €36,200 and has a four-month execution period.
Jesús Mario Blasco, Spokesperson for the Independent Citizen Group for Aranjuez, emphasized the importance of this study for the mobility of the citizens, known as 'ribereños'. Blasco expressed hope that the tender award and completion would not face delays, highlighting the significance of updating public transport for the year 2026.
According to the technical specifications, the awarded company will conduct on-board surveys on urban and interurban buses and telephone surveys with residents over 16 years old. Blasco noted the absence of consultations with neighborhood associations and affected groups, suggesting their participation could provide valuable data for the diagnosis.
The study will characterize the socio-demographic profile of users, analyze travel patterns, demand by lines and schedules, punctuality, regularity, and satisfaction levels. It will also assess the reliability of the municipal mobile application for bus arrival times and examine aspects such as interconnection with rail services, line saturation during peak hours, and the feasibility of itinerary modifications or new stops.
Specific analyses include extending the route of the urban line L2 to the Cortefiel company, adjusting its schedule to match the working hours of employees at the Residencia de Ancianos Santiago Rusiñol, and studying the use of interurban lines and their connection with other transport modes.
Furthermore, the study will investigate the potential impact on bus demand due to the development of the La Montaña neighborhood, the feasibility of increasing the frequency of the interurban line Toledo–Aranjuez, and the possibility of this line stopping at the Centro Penitenciario. Finally, demand in smaller population centers like El Mirador and El Cortijo de San Isidro will be analyzed.
The study will also consider the technical and functional feasibility of an inter-municipal agreement with the Ontígola City Council for the bus service connecting both municipalities to pass through the El Mirador neighborhood, provided that this alternative does not negatively affect travel times, service regularity, or the intermodality of Ontígola users.
