What is the rapid transit transport system being built in Seville and could it be rolled out in Malaga?

It could be defined as a hybrid between a bus and a tram. It already exists in some 170 cities around the world. The first in history was Curitiba in Brazil (1974). It goes by the acronym BRT, which corresponds to the English term 'rapid transit bus', although other commercial names are sometimes chosen in each city. In Malaga, when the idea was first floated, the proposed name was 'metrobus'. In Seville, which is in the middle of construction work on a new BRT route, it has been named 'tranvibús'. What are the advantages of this transport, and what are the plans to introduce it in Malaga?

Firstly, it is important to note that it is preferable to implement this type of transport system on wide avenues. It is a long bus lane with its entire platform physically separated from road traffic. But it is much more than just a bus lane because it is designed for fewer stops, more passenger capacity and even for passengers to swipe their card upon entry or to pay before boarding at a stop or 'station'. In this regard there can be different variations.

BRT systems use articulated - often nicknamed 'bendy' - buses and can even have platforms. The cost of construction is much cheaper than that of an above-ground tram or light railway line. Furthermore, their cost-effectiveness can be very high. Still, it also has its detractors, who usually see it as a short-term solution and point to a lower durability than rail infrastructure and the same goes for the rolling stock itself.

So BRT combines the frequency, capacity and speed of light rail and the flexibility and lower cost of a bus. In Malaga it has been on the political and technical agendae on several occasions. The preliminary study for a connection line between El Candado and La Malagueta, which would later be extended longitudinally to the west and even to the wider industrial zone, was at an advanced stage. In the eastern part, a route along the coastline or along Paseo Reding was also investigated to a similar extent as they did for the possible metro line 3 to El Palo. The results provided good data on demand and profitability. That project was linked to a park-and-ride proposal in the area closest to Rincón de la Victoria, an idea that is still on the table for municipal planning.

Let us not forget that the space required for these routes means that drastic decisions have to be taken regarding road traffic, which would be greatly reduced. So this is where such a system for Malaga is at the moment a bit of a let-down. Moreover, they tend to run in the centre section of the chosen road.

There have been other times when this idea was proposed. For instance, the time when the Junta de Andalucía proposed that the metro should run above ground to the Civil Hospital and Malaga city's governing team at the time was opposed to that idea, so one of the alternatives offered was several metrobus lines.

The BRT is a medium-capacity system and as such has not yet generated a shared enthusiasm, but it does have many advocates and can provide very concrete solutions. It has been an idea that the city council has worked hard on, even rejecting European funds worth 800,000 euros because it had doubts about how it would fit into the city and what its configuration could be.

In Seville the construction work for the first tramway has a budget of 20.7 million euros and is funded by European money [recreation of the project in this video link]. The first route is 8.2 kilometres long to connect Santa Justa railway station with the districts of Sevilla Este and Torreblanca. The cost/kilometre ratio is obviously much lower than that of a tram and, of course, way less that an underground metro. For this section there will be a four-metre wide bus lane and the rest of the lanes will be at least 3 metres wide. There are 14 stops. The journey time will be 22 minutes in total. The project is accompanied by cycle lanes, car parks and more than 52,000 square metres of green space.

SUR has asked the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, about this transport system, which is included among the alternatives being considered for connecting Malaga and Rincón and the possible metro to Ciudad Jardín. "This formula can always be examined, we have to study all the modes and the advances that have been seen in other cities," he states. However, for this mayor the layout of Malaga city, configured without large avenues, complicates the implementation of this rapid bus system. "It is not ruled out, we are currently looking at all the options in the mobility forums, especially in terms of interurban connections. BRT would be a step beyond bus lanes but it obviously takes up more space."

De la Torre pointed to the fact that central government has ruled out the project proposal for the 'bus-VAO' (the Spanish for an exclusive lane for buses and high-occupancy vehicles) on the MA-20 access road into Malaga running from Torremolinos to the provincial headquarters of the National Police. In reality, the Ministry of Transport has only changed the project, opting for a three-lane extension of the ring road instead, which will include demolishing the current bridge over the Guadalhorce and building a new bypass to the north. The project is at the design stage and is estimated to cost 190 million euros.

Work on the bus-VAO at the entrance to Malaga city on the A-357 Guadalhorce motorway will begin soon. Sando is the Spanish multinational company that has been awarded the project and the build, supported by the Junta's regional ministry for public works, for a total of 8.5 million euros.

In short, this kind of tram with wheels has not yet come to fruition as a viable proposal for Malaga, but neither is it off the table at strategic and specialist meetings and discussions - the debate rolls on.