The city buses of Granada is a public transport system from the city of Granada (Spain), operated by the companies, Alhambra Bus and Herederos de Gómez. Granada is one of the Spanish cities where the bus is most used, with 160 trips per inhabitant every year.
The first public transport route in Granada was a tram connecting Paseo de la Bomba with Plaza Nueva, inaugurated 7 July 1904 operated by Tranvías Eléctricos de Granada (Electric Trams of Granada). Until the 1960s, when trams were gradually substituted by buses, the company operated 90 kilometers of tramways.
In 1962, the Madridian bus company Transportes Rober, founded in 1957, won the competition to operate the bus line system in Granada.[1] The concession has been constantly renovated up until 2020, but the city council can rescue the service by paying a compensation.
During the 1990s, Transportes Rober created an affiliate company, Alhambra Bus, to operate the lines which went through the Alhambra, Albayzin, Sacromonte and Realejo districts. Alhambra Bus uses minibuses due to the narrowness of the streets. Also, a new line was created which went to the nearby town of Cenes de la Vega, operated by a separate company, Herederos de Gómez.
In 2002, the Metropolitan Transport Consortium of the Granada Area was created, and the urban bus network was integrated within it.
The Transportes Rober fleet is composed of approximately 150 buses[2] with an average age of 6 years. Most of the fleet is composed of Iveco chassis buses with 3 doors and 2 PRM spaces, although there are Volvo and Scania chassis buses. These buses have glass partition on the driver's seat to avoid robbery. Also, some of the buses have upper compartments for suitcases (for lines that go to the bus station)
The Alhambra Bus fleet is composed of Iveco-Mercedes 2 door minibuses, some of them with a space for PRM. Herederos de Gómez's buses are similar to those of Transportes Rober, but they only have two doors and no glass separations between the driver and passengers.
All buses are red (except LAC line buses, which are blue with 4 doors), have air conditioning and can sell tickets on board.
A ticket costs €1,40 and is valid for 60 minutes. A night bus ticket costs €1,50. Travelcards (known as Credibús) are available with a cost of €0,87, €0,85 and €0,83 for 60 minutes when charged €5, €10 and €20 respectively. Junior and University students Travelcards (Bono Joven and Bono Universitario) have similar prices. Travelcard holders must pay a €2 deposit. Fair buses have a cost of €2. Monthly passes cost €41, while pensioners living in Granada can travel for free.
The current bus line scheme in Granada is organised with transport exchanges on the northern part of the city (Caleta and Triunfo) and the southern part (Paseo del Violón). Lines either connect these two locations or go from the transport exchanges to peripheral districts. Each line has a letter followed by a number. Letters identify which part of the city lines go through and numbers go from 0 to 9 (0 if it doesn't connect with a transport exchange and 1 to 9 following a clockwise starting point order in the north and anticlockwise starting point order in the south):
The bus transport system has direct connection with the Granada Metro on 12 stations.
| LINE | ROUTE | FREQUENCY | OPERATED BY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAC | Granada Conference Center - Caleta - Cruz del Sur | 2' - 4' | Transportes Rober | |
| C1 | Plaza Nueva (City Center) - Albayzín | 8' | Alhambra Bus | |
| C2 | Plaza Nueva (City Center) - Sacromonte | 20' | Alhambra Bus | |
| C3 | Isabella the Catholic Square (City Center) - Alhambra | 8' - 25' | Alhambra Bus | |
| C4 | Isabella the Catholic Square (City Center) - Cemetery - Barranco del Abogado | 20' - 30' | Alhambra Bus | |
| C5 | Neptuno - Isabella the Catholic Square | 30' - 35' | Alhambra Bus | |
| C6 | Mecina Bombarón Street (Rosaleda) - Madrid Avenue (Traumatología Hospital) | 30' | Transportes Rober | |
| C7 | Cemetery - Puerta Real - Granada Conference Center | 20' | Transportes Rober | |
| N1 | Chana - Bobadilla - Rector Marín Ocete Street (University dining rooms) | 7' - 14' | Transportes Rober | |
| N3 | Cerrillo de Maracena - Rector Marín Ocete Street (University dining rooms) | 10' - 14' | Transportes Rober | |
| N4 | Federico García Lorca Avenue - Granada Bus Station - Caleta | 11' - 15' | Transportes Rober | |
| N5 | Modesto Cendoya Street - Joaquina Eguaras Street - Caleta | 12' - 14' | Transportes Rober | |
| N6 | Casería del Cerro Street - Pulianas Avenue - Caleta | 10' - 20' | Transportes Rober | |
| N7 | Parque Nueva Granada Urbanization - Hospicio Avenue (Triunfo) | 10' - 18' | Transportes Rober | |
| N8 | El Fargue - Hospicio Avenue (Triunfo) | 60' | Transportes Rober | |
| N9 | San Miguel Viewpoint - Constitution Avenue (Triunfo) | 10' - 17' | Transportes Rober | |
| S0 | Cruz de Lagos - Bola de Oro Sports Center | 30' | Alhambra Bus | |
| S1 | Los Rebites/Serrallo - Granada Conference Center | 8' - 12' | Transportes Rober | |
| S2 | Villa Argaz - Tierno Galván Street (Granada Conference Center) | 8' - 13' | Transportes Rober | |
| S3 | Granada Sports Center - Puerta Real - Granada Conference Center | 6' - 15' | Transportes Rober | |
| U1 | Almunia Park (Aynadamar University Campus) - Cartuja University Campus | 10' - 15' | Transportes Rober | |
| U2 | Einstein Square (Fuentenueva University Campus) - Cartuja University Campus | 20' | Transportes Rober | |
| U3 | Technological Park of Health (PTS) - Cartuja University Campus - Alfacar Road | 6' - 10' | Transportes Rober | |
| SN1 | Cenes de la Vega - Lancha del Genil - City Center - Granada Bus Station | 10' - 20' | Herederos de Gómez | |
| SN2 | Granada Sports Center - Granada Bus Station | 10' - 20' | Transportes Rober | |
| SN3 | Los Rebites - Eduardo María Fajardo Street (Chana) | 10' - 20' | Transportes Rober | |
| SN4 | Technological Park of Health (PTS) - Sagrada Familia Street (Chana) | 10' - 20' | Transportes Rober | |
| SN5 | Beethoven Street - Parque Nueva Granada Urbanization | 10' - 20' | Transportes Rober | |
| 111 | Night Bus (clockwise route) | 10' - 16' | Alhambra Bus | |
| 121 | Night Bus (anticlockwise route) | 10' - 16' | Alhambra Bus | |
| F1 | Los Pinillos - Fair | 10' - 15' | Transportes Rober | |
| F2 | Granada Sports Center - Fair | 10' | Transportes Rober | |
| F3 | Dilar Avenue - Fair | 10' | Transportes Rober | |
| F4 | Málaga Road (Chana) - Fair | 10' - 15' | Transportes Rober | |
| F5 | El Pinar (Haza Grande) - Fair | 60' | Transportes Rober | |
| F6 | Granada Conference Center - Fair | 30' | Transportes Rober |