Malaga’s addiction to its cars continues as people reject useless public transport

RESIDENTS in the province of Malaga are still addicted to their fume-spewing cars to get around as public transport languishes as a viable means of transport.

Two thirds of people rely on their vehicle to get to school or work and just 13% use public transport, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).

A further 18% were lucky enough to be able to work around, and just 7% used bikes or scooters.

Only a quarter of commuters take less than 20 minutes to get to work, while 16% spend more than an hour travelling every day. 

Public transport users are the least satisfied with the time they spend commuting (20%, compared to 9% for car drivers and 2% for walkers). 

The study also found that the problem with public transport is that it has ‘captive passengers’ who have no other options but to rely on the poor buses.

The Olive Press has reported extensively on the inadequacy of the public transport options within the province, especially along the coast.

In Estepona, where the public transport is notoriously bad, 75% of people rely on a car, with Benalmadena a close second at 72%.

The bigger metropolitan areas of Malaga and Marbella had better public transport usage, reflecting the better options in cities, with 56% and 63% of people using cars respectively.

The study analysed data from the eight municipalities with over 50,000 inhabitants in the region, including Benalmádena, Estepona, Fuengirola, Malaga, Marbella, Mijas, Vélez, and Torremolinos. 

The capital has the lowest dependence on cars due to its extensive network of urban buses, the metro and the Cercanías, which together account for 17% of daily trips. 

However, it still lags behind cities with powerful metro networks like Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao. 

Cadiz stands out as the city where walking is the most popular option (38%), compared to 18% in Malaga, thanks to its smaller size and shorter distances.

READ MORE:

• Nearly 300 tonnes of drugs seized in 2022: Latest stats paint picture of drug trafficking running wild on Spain’s southern coast
• Brits to make their voices heard? Almost 16,000 in Spain’s Costa del Sol will be eligible to vote in May’s municipal elections
• EXCLUSIVE: Under-fire Avanza bosses pull their socks up over wastage at Marbella bus station