In a statement, the local authority said that “the study was based on the need to analyse and adapt the network to current mobility standards”, identifying “the service operating scenarios and terms of reference that will form the basis for the necessary contracting” that will carry out the “operation of municipal public transport over the next seven years”.

At present, according to the local authority, A Onda covers all the parishes in the municipality and serves almost the entire population; however, the study points to “the need to introduce some changes.” The changes aim to respond to certain ‘legal obligations,’ for example, the need to increase bus frequency, particularly at weekends.

On the table are proposals such as “the expansion of the network to cover the areas of Boavista, Atalaia and Porto de Mós; the alteration of line 4, which serves the parish of Luz; the extension of line 5 to Colégio; and the alteration of line 8, which serves Monte Ruivo, Cotifo and Arão.” The proposed network consists of 11 lines, which will “ensure almost total territorial coverage”, serving more than 96% of the population, “living less than 400 metres from a bus stop.” The municipality thus aims to “increase the number of trips by 4.4%, the number of kilometres travelled by 12.9% and the number of seats available annually by 12.5%.”

“As for the characteristics of the fleet, three scenarios are presented, with the most conservative one predicting that at the start of operations, 35% of vehicles/buses will be powered by clean energy, a figure that will increase to 51% from 2026 onwards,” the municipality reveals in a statement.