Restructuring of the urban transport network planned for 2027

A full restructuring of the network of Municipalized Urban Transport Services of Coimbra (SMTUC) will take place at the end of the first semester of 2027, said today the president of that entity.

Although it is expected that the ‘metrobus’ (articulated buses on dedicated roads) may be operating at the very end of the first quarter of 2027, with the arrival of the University of Coimbra Hospitals, the complete restructuring of the Urban Transport network of Coimbra should only take place on school holidays, Lusa told the agency the president of the SMTUC, Eduardo Barata.

“The plan in which we are working with the municipal transport authority, the Coimbra Chamber, is to let the ‘metrobus’ arrive at the Hospitals, that this operation stabilizes and then, already during school holidays, we introduce the changes in the network, preceded by a very strong communication program,” he said.

This decision is contrary to what was initially foreseen, in which the implementation of the restructuring of the SMTUC network was envisaged when the operation of the ‘metrobus’ to the Hospitals was extended to the end of the first quarter of 2027.

“ This was the initial calendar, but we considered the pros and cons and came to the conclusion, even the result of the experience we acquired with the ‘metrobus’ arriving in Coimbra-B, that this might not be the ideal scenario,” he said.

In September, when the ‘metrobus’ arrived in Coimbra-B and Praça da República, the SMTUC advanced with a restructuring at the same time of more than 20 lines.

“ People have to adapt to a very transformative reality. Restructuring [at the end of the first quarter] would imply a total change in the network when the network is at maximum load, which would be very demanding and unadvised”, he said.

In this sense, the SMTUC should move forward with the implementation of the changes of their entire network during school holidays, allowing in September 2027 to have already some months of experience of the new network, already tuned and adjusted, allowing to realize “the ability to respond, in terms of rolling stock and human resources, namely drivers”.

The period of discussion and public consultation of the restructuring of the SMTUC network should start in the beginning of 2027, Eduardo Barata advanced.

“January is the ideal time to do the public consultation, to do the work of defining the network, frequencies and scales of rolling stock and crew and prepare for what comes next,” he said, referring that the new calendar allows to do a preparation work “with the necessary tranquility” and with time “to reduce the errors that happen in profound changes like this”.

Asked about whether the changes arise from learning with some mistakes that may have been made in the reorganization in September, Eduardo Barata refused to talk about errors, but admitted that the information campaign, despite having had great scope, may not have been “processed as it was supposed” by some of the users, who were surprised by the changes.

“ We have room to improve”, he said.