Bus stops on the Diagonal change to reduce daily chaos

Nearly 1,800 coaches pass through this part of the Diagonal every working day. Until now, some stops brought together dozens of routes at the same point, making boarding, access to information and passenger movement during peak hours more difficult.

The reorganisation increases the number of boarding points from 13 to 23. With this distribution, no stop will have to accommodate more than 20 routes, compared with the nearly 40 that could previously be concentrated in some areas.

Much of the work has been carried out by enlarging the reserved areas on the asphalt and redistributing services. The aim is to separate routes more effectively and prevent several coaches from arriving at the same time at points that are too narrow.

The improvement comes after years of complaints about deteriorated shelters, unused poles and outdated information. In some cases, the maps still retained old references, an indication of the limited maintenance that had accumulated along this corridor.

The City Council and the Generalitat say this first phase will continue. The next works should include new shelters, more shade and more consistent accessibility for older people, users with reduced mobility and travellers with pushchairs.

The arrival of the tram and the gradual transformation of the Diagonal have once again brought attention to the role of buses. Thousands of students, workers and residents rely on these routes every day to connect the centre with the university area and metropolitan municipalities.

The change is noticeable in something as basic as knowing where to wait and being able to board without getting trapped between several queues. The measure leaves a somewhat more orderly Diagonal, although the real leap will come when the stops also renew their shade, signage and accessibility.