The Cabildo of Lanzarote has incorporated five new sustainable hybrid buses for regular intercity passenger transport, as part of its commitment to modernizing public transport and improving efficiency, safety, and user comfort.
This acquisition has been possible thanks to the subsidy granted to the operator Arrecife Bus S.L. for the execution of the project called Renovation and expansion of the public transport fleet, within component C.1-I.1 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), financed by the European Union. Next Generation. The new investment amounts to 1,400,000 euros and adds to the effort made by the island institution in recent years to renovate and expand the public transport fleet, reaching a total of 10 hybrid buses acquired between 2024 and 2025, with a global investment of 2.8 million euros.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, emphasized that "these new buses represent an important step forward in terms of sustainability, as we continue to commit to a more modern and efficient public transport system that contributes to reducing emissions, improving our air quality, and facilitating the travel of citizens and visitors."
For her part, the vice-president of the Cabildo and head of the Area of Planning and Project Coordination, María Jesús Tovar, pointed out that "the Cabildo has been able to efficiently take advantage of the European funds of the PRTR to improve the quality of public transport. This investment not only modernizes the fleet, but also guarantees a more equitable and sustainable service for all the municipalities of the island."
The acquisition of these five new buses will allow the implementation of a direct intercity line to the General Hospital of Lanzarote, a service that will facilitate a regular and accessible connection between the Interchange and the Arrecife Bus Station with the island's hospital center, with an approximate frequency of thirty minutes.
Likewise, as explained by the Minister of Transport, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, "the North Line (Órzola – Haría – Teguise – Arrecife) and the Tinajo – Arrecife Line will also be reinforced, both with sustained demand growth and saturation peaks in certain time slots and weekends."
Jiménez emphasized that "these actions represent a qualitative leap in the public transportation network. We are not only improving coverage and frequency, but we are also offering users safer, more sustainable, and more accessible vehicles. Lanzarote needs public transportation that is up to par with its development and its commitment to responsible mobility."
Sustained Growth of Island Public Transportation
These new measures promoted by the Lanzarote Council are part of a sustained growth process in the demand for regular passenger transport on the island. In fact, the total number of users has increased from 5.14 million in 2022 to 7.66 million in 2024, representing an increase of 49.12%.
This growth has been possible thanks to the renewal of the fleet, which has gone from 54 operational vehicles in 2022 to 73 in 2024, reducing the average age of the vehicles to 4.14 years, well below the technical limit of 12 years established for this type of service.
The last five units acquired have low-emission hybrid technology and incorporate the most advanced systems in terms of safety, sustainability, and accessibility, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), reversing cameras, breathalyzer for the driver, protective screen, and intelligent fleet management platforms.