Smart cards for Torrevieja’s Bus System

You can already apply for the new TARJETA CIUDADANO to be able to keep on bus service.

From Tuesday, 16th of August 2011, you can already apply for the new TARJETA CIUDADANO –citizen card- to be able to keep on enjoying public transport bus service.

On the 16th of September 2011 the new card will come into effect, invalidating all previous ones.

This card will also be valid as an access to the CMO (Local Leisure Centre or Macrodisco), and other services will be progressively added to the same, such as museums entrance. 

How can you update your public transport card?
Date: from Tuesday, 16th of August 2011
Place: old Town Hall – Transport Department Offices (first turn to the left as you come in)
Opening hours: 9:00am - 11:00am monday to thursday.
Requirements: you need to be registered at the Torrevieja’s padrón and be free of any debts towards local administration.  
Issuance fee: 35€ (1 year validity). Senior citizens may obtain a subsidy for this amount from the yearly Local Subsidies given to senior citizens and pensioners, after having duly proven payment of the said card. 
Documents required: DNI, NIE, tarjeta de residencia or passport (original ones)
Payment receipt for the amount of 35€ as a deposit in the account number 2090 7150 55 0200168516 of Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo (CAM).

FAQ:

Do I need to update the card before the 16th of September?
Not necessarily, you can use the application for card update any time, and you do not need to obtain the card before the 16th of September unless you use it daily and therefore you have a specific need of the same.

- Do I need to be registered in the padron Municipal a minimum of years?
No. You have to be registered at the time of requesting the card.

- If I register as resident in another town, I can still use the card?
No. The card will be canceled when it detects that you're not registered in Torrevieja Municipal Padron

- I can apply the card from another person (my husband, brother, etc.).?
No. To get the card, it requires the physical presence of the applicant, given the need to take a picture that identifies you.

- If I am retired, I have to pay the card?
Yes, but then returned 35 € to all pensioners and those receiving Aid to pensioners and retirees who annually awards the Torrevieja Townhall. It is mandatory to fulfill all requirements to receive this aid.

- I can provide proof of payment that I got with my printer to make payment online through my bank?
No. We only accept original proof of payment issued by the bank which has made the payment or transfer.

What happens then if I am not registered as citizen in Torrevieja?
In that case the cost is 1,20€ per trip. One of the advantages of being registered in Torrevieja is the Bus City Card at a very low cost (35€/año)

Recommendations:
The first days there is great demand for cards.
We recommend to be patient and try to go to city hall with all the necessary documentation between 2pm and 4 pm or after 19pm.

One of the unique aspects of being a resident of Torrevieja is that the city offers a free bus service for one and all; if you are on the padron. However, the system has been widely abused, mainly by those who just visit on holiday, sign on the Padron, then sign off again but not until they have the correct documentation for their free buss pass! The abuse of the system has been costing the Town Hall hundreds of thousands of euros over the years! All that will change from the end of the month as Torrevieja introduces a new ‘smart’ card for the Bus System.

From September 16, 2011, anyone legitimately on the Municipal Padron can use their new Urban Public Transport Cards. The major change from the former system is that there is a cost involved. The new card will cost only €35 annually, in essence the amount the Town Hall pays to cover production and management costs but thereof it will entitle all registered citizens of Torrevieja free urban transport, 365 days a Year. For those doing their sums, at €1.20 a journey, you need to make at least 30 trips per year to break even, or 15 days return travel, into and out of, the city!

But not only is the card for Transportation as it is indeed a Smart Card offering more than one function. Torrevieja’s Mayor Eduardo Dolon said that the cards will be available from next Tuesday, August 16, when they will begin issuing the new cards from the new facilities of the Municipal Transport Department which are now located in Torrevieja’s Old Town Hall. The mayor said that the only requirements to be the recipient of the Citizen Card are:

1) Present the receipt of the bank's payment of 35 euros.
2) ID, NIE, passport or present Bus Pass.
3) be registered on Torrevieja’s Municipal Padron.

The introduction of this new computerized card will allow the City Council of Torrevieja extensive information on the use of the service, and in particular, the various lines and routes used in the city, which in the near future, these statistics will be used towards adapting and optimizing the transport service based on user demand. Eduardo Dolon said that the Card will be multi-purpose as it will also incorporate Torrevieja’s Citizen Card that will gradually allow holders access to other municipal services such as entry to the Municipal Leisure Centre (BMC) or Macrodiscoteca, sports and educational facilities, the various museums and library. It will ultimately also be linked into the large screen terminals found in all of Torrevieja’s public buildings and allow printed documentation to be accessed through these tactical computer screens.

Being a ‘Smart Card’ they may also be ‘turned off’, thus when a user signs off the Municipal Padron! The main computer system will have the ability to recognize this fact, and thus inform bus drivers that the card is no longer valid, helping put an end to the abuse that the system has suffered from in the past! €35, a small price to pay for the bus system in Torrevieja, especially as parking is at a premium in the city centre. Available from August 16, from the Old Town Hall in the main Square.