The Bizkaia Transport Consortium will put out to tender the modification to supply these initial energy-saving equipment that will cut current consumption by 60%, starting with 30 new motors to be fitted to 17 elevators.

The tender envisages a budget of EUR 172,000 and an implementation period of 6 months, and will lead to savings of between EUR 8,000 and 10,000 per year, with a 10-month return on investment.

85% of the 3,500 interventions registered were to do with Barik card procedures.

In September, the Bizkaia Transport Consortium (CTB) recorded double the number of queries through its Customer Service Office (OAC) in San Mamés. 85% of the 3,500 interventions registered were mainly to do with Barik card procedures, information requests and claims. In September, Monday was the day of the week with the greatest number of procedures with an average of 195. The average number of actions per day in June was 94, 87 in July and 85 in August.

The two main tasks to be performed are the partial replacement of the tracks and the upgrading of the platform for track 2 at Plentzia station. The budget estimate is €557,893 and the work is expected to take three months.

In its meeting today the General Board of the CTB also approved the tender for the contracting of private insurance for CTB and Metro Bilbao SA, to the tune of €1,950,000 per annum.

Also approved was the awarding of the work for updating and upgrading the Metro Bilbao rail transport offer generator package (GOT), with a budget of €374,016 and a completion date of 12 months.

The last point approved at today’s CTB General Board meeting was the decreasing of interest rates on a number of commercial loans, which will save €5 million per annum from now to 2026.

The aim is to bring together the terms used in the sector in four languages and make them available to the public. The dictionary has been drawn up in collaboration with the Terminology Department of Fundación Elhuyar.

These primary and secondary pupils took part in the fourth Actívate+ programme, an initiative set up by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia to encourage public engagement in the field of sustainability. The scheme is supported by the Basque Government, Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia (the local water board), CTB (the Bizkaia Transport Consortium), the Eroski Group and Metro Bilbao

The board of CTB has agreed that lines 1 and 2 de Metro Bilbao and line 3 of Euskotren are to operate as a single public service.

The agreement reached by CTB (the Bizkaia Transport Consortium), rail operator Eusko Trenbideak/Ferrocarriles Vascos (ET/FV) and Metro Bilbao means that when the new line comes into service the same tickets and fares will be used by both operators.

The entry into service of line 3 and the way in which it is to be run will mean that decisions must be made concerning the fare structures of the operators, so that the new route, which will become operational in 2017, can be used as just one more line on the Metro, regardless of the fact that it is run by different operators.

CTB (the Bizkaia Transport Consortium) has set up a helpline on nº 94 685 50 00 for people seeking information on matters concerned with the use of the Barik contactless card and public transport in the province.

This number (with local area code 94) has been incorporated this week into the public information services provided by CTB from its customer information office at the San Mames intermodal station, in line with a mandate from the General Assembly of Bizkaia.

The contracts offered by most telephone operators now offer free calls to landlines, so this service will mean big savings for callers. The CTB information switchboard received around 11,000 calls in 2015.

The new 94 685 50 00 service will coexist with the earlier 901 123 123 helpline for several months as the old number is phased out gradually, leaving only the local number.

On its first day of availability the app, which can be found in the Google PlayStore, obtained a total of 2414 downloads. Users who have installed the app, which lets them top up their Barik contactless cards from a smartphone running on Android 4 or higher, made 6758 queries and carried out 572 top-up operations (563 for the Barik purse card and 9 for monthly passes). The total amount paid out in these operations was €5607.20.

http://www.ctb.eus/sites/default/files/Barik2016Cast.mp4

As from Monday 29 February you can top up your Barik card via a smartphone. To begin with the CTB app will be available via the Google PlayStore, and will be for NFC-enabled phones running on Android 4.0 or higher. It will be extended to other operating systems at a later date. http://www.ctb.eus/sites/default/files/Barik2016Cast.mp4

Approval has also been given for the Bilbao Bizkaia Card tourist ticket to be used as from 1 March on Euskotren rail lines in Bizkaia and on the funicular railway in Larreineta.

The CTB has also agreed to invite bids for two new contracts to continue the work to eliminate the level crossing and transfer the line underground in Urduliz and build a new station below ground. The go-ahead has also been given for the project for signposting, furnishings and the technical office at Urduliz station.