Moventis took part in the ‘Mobility in Catalonia: Challenges and Opportunities’ forum organised by Prensa Ibérica via two of its main newspapers: El Periódico and Activos. Josep Maria Martí, CEO of Moventis and Vice-President of Moventia , gathered outstanding experts and political representatives for this event to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Catalonia in this crucial area.
Held at the Gallery Hotel in Barcelona, the forum was attended by key figures from public institutions and the mobility and public transport world, including: the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni; the Councillor for Regional Affairs, Housing and the Ecological Transition, Silvia Paneque; the Director-General for Transport and Mobility of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Susi López; and Antonio Balmón, Vice-President of Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), among others. Furthermore, the event was also attended by Albert Sáez, Editor of El Periódico; Martí Saballs, Financial Information Editor at Prensa Ibérica; and Carlos Márquez, mobility expert contributor for El Periódico.
Josep María spoke during the expert discussion on ‘Citizenship and Public Transport’ alongside Joaquim Balsera, Head of Corporate Business at TMB; Diego Fernández, Head of Sustainable Mobility at AMB; and Humberto López, Managing Director of TRAM. The panel discussed the current limitations of public transport in Catalonia and examined strategies to reduce the use of private vehicles in Barcelona. They also assessed the role to be played by taxis in the sector.
One of the first talking points was the recent decision by the Government to end the tax credits to public transport on 1 January 2025. Josep María emphasised the importance of lower tariffs for public transport passengers, saying that “80% of bus, metro or train passengers today use subsidised travel passes, especially the T-Usual and T-Jove”. He went on to add that there could be a significant reduction in the number of passengers if these tax credits do not continue. “These people have been travelling under the sensation that they are using the public transport network for free. In order to tackle this potential loss of passengers, our wish to the Three Wise Men will be for an increase in services” .
Josep Maria also underlined the priority for Moventis and other public transport companies to design routes that allow passengers to travel door-to-door without needing to change. At present, 70% of intercity bus passengers make direct journeys. This figures rises to 78% when taking all mobility systems into account. “When we talk about intermodality, the focus needs to be on intercity services, which is where we have room to improve”. In this regard, he highlighted the intermodality infrastructures that already exist in Barcelona, such as the Universitat/Gran Vía, La Sagrera, Espanya and Francesc Macià interchanges.
The CEO of Moventis also underlined the value given by passengers to the convenience of public transport based on surveys showing that the public chooses this option because of its accessibility, suitable frequency, and safe and fast routes. “This is what we need to keep looking after” , he insisted, pointing out the need to maintain and improve these standards so as to encourage the ongoing use of public transport.
Public investment of 4.4 million for intercity lines
During the event, Councillor Silvia Paneque announced an investment plan of 4.4 million euros by the Regional Affairs Department to strengthen the intercity bus service, a service that has seen a significant increase in demand of between 20% and 30% in some areas. Silvia explained that these funds will be allocated to the improvement of bus lines connecting the south of Barcelona region (Vilafranca, Vilanova, Sitges and Gelida) with the city, as well as the services running to the UAB, Vic and the routes from El Maresme that include stops in Argentona and Sant Pol.