Barcelona studies a quick solution to reduce queues for Diagonal buses

Now, a proposal promoted by the association Promoció del Transport Públic (PTP) puts forward a much simpler solution than it seems: creating double stops so that two buses can pick up passengers at the same time. According to the organisation, it would be enough to add signage and new poles at more than 40 points along the Diagonal, without the need for construction work or major alterations.

The idea seeks to speed up boarding and prevent quite common situations on the avenue, where one bus completely blocks the stop while another waits behind it full of passengers. The problem particularly affects intercity routes linking Barcelona with metropolitan municipalities, which carry thousands of people every day to offices, universities and hospitals.

The project's main advantage is precisely its speed. As it does not require major structural changes, the new stops could be implemented relatively quickly and at low cost compared with other, far more complex mobility measures.

For years, the Diagonal has operated as one of Barcelona's major corridors in and out of the city. Trams, urban buses, intercity buses, bicycles, motorbikes and private cars all travel along it, mixed together on one of the avenues that is most difficult to manage for metropolitan mobility.

In that context, small operational improvements can end up having quite an impact on users' daily experience. Reducing waiting times by just a few minutes or avoiding build-ups at certain times of day greatly changes the experience of those who use public transport every morning.

The proposal also reflects something that is beginning to recur more and more in Barcelona: many mobility solutions no longer necessarily involve major construction works or megaprojects, but rather small, quick and very specific adjustments to infrastructure that already exists and has been operating at capacity for years.