The Andalusian Regional Government and the City Council of El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz) have put into service the transport interchange of the Cadiz municipality, with the inauguration by the Minister of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing, Rocío Díaz, and the Mayor, Germán Beardo, of the new facilities, built by the regional administration with an investment of one million euros co-financed with European funds Feder on a municipal-owned plot.
The minister highlighted that with this inauguration, «a historical debt of more than 30 years has been settled.» «It was inconceivable that a city with nearly 90,000 inhabitants and with the social, economic, and tourist pull of El Puerto did not have a transport interchange,» emphasized Rocío Díaz, who did not overlook the difficulties, especially administrative ones, that were encountered for its operation.
Likewise, she pointed out that this station represents a new commitment fulfilled by the Ministry of Development with El Puerto, where «enormous projects have already been launched such as the revitalization of the access to the Bodeguero district or the comprehensive rehabilitation of the blocks in the Los Milagros neighborhood,» among others.
On his part, the Mayor of El Puerto, Germán Beardo, stated that «this new bus station responds to a historical demand and places El Puerto at the level of a modern, well-connected city oriented towards the future.» He emphasized that «its location, next to the train station, makes this area the epicenter of public transportation, guaranteeing intermodality and promoting sustainable mobility with spaces for bicycles, electric cars, scooters, and taxis.»
Beardo added that this initiative «is part of the transformation plan for the Monastery of La Victoria area, a strategic project that revalues our heritage and activates a key space for coexistence, culture, and urban development.»
The significance of these facilities is that, despite having a significant population, El Puerto de Santa María lacked a bus station that centralized all public transportation in the city. It only had stops and shelters distributed around the bullring and the train station, which were insufficient to meet the demand for existing services, which also significantly increase during the summer months.
The transport interchange has been built on a 3,985 square meter plot, featuring four covered bays and a closed service area and waiting zone. Furthermore, it enjoys good connections with the N-IV road.
It is expected to receive more than 60 non-urban bus services daily, in addition to municipal bus lines. The chosen location is ideal for promoting intermodality, not only because it is next to the railway station, but also because it has stops for taxis and VTC.
The building is designed as a porticoed structure of rolled steel in standardized profiles, supporting a slab made of reinforced concrete, with a skylight over the closed waiting area. The pillars are positioned between bays to facilitate maneuverability for both arriving and departing buses. The building is equipped with plumbing and sanitation facilities, lighting and electricity, public address systems, and telecommunications.
The final step taken for its commissioning was an addendum to the agreement for the City Council to assume its maintenance and operation, a common practice in other interchanges built by the Ministry of Development. This way, the bus station will be fully operational for the Spring Fair and Sherry Wine Festival, starting on Wednesday, May 28.
The minister and the mayor inaugurated these facilities alongside the Deputy Minister of Development, Mario Muñoz-Atanet; the Government Delegate of the Junta in Cádiz, Mercedes Colombo; the Director General of Transport Infrastructures, Eduardo Gutiérrez; and the Territorial Delegate of Development in Cádiz, Carmen Sánchez, among other authorities.