CTB’s Barik contactless card for public transport in Bizkaia was used for 120,065,100 journeys last year. It now accounts for around 73% of all public transport journeys in the province.
Barik cards were also used on 73,895 journeys on the tramway system in Vitoria.

This scheme, promoted jointly by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the Basque Government, Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia [the Bilbao-Bizkaia Water Board], Consorcio de Transportes de Bizkaia [the Bizkaia Transport Consortium], Metro Bilbao and Grupo Eroski, proposes simple ideas and practical actions for changing people’s life habits in regard to water, energy, mobility, purchasing and waste management, and fosters the engagement of schools and families at home.

A standout point among the issues approved by the General Board of CTB in its meeting today was the approval of the organisation's budget for the coming year. In all, CTB is to have €200,002,884 at its disposal to enable it to meet its various obligations as a local organisation. Approval was also granted for the budget allocation for Metro Bilbao S.A., which is to be €74.5 million.

Initially, the app will work only with smartphones that run on Android 4.0 or higher and use NFC technology, though it will later be extended to other operating systems. As from Wednesday 9 December Barik cards can also be topped up online

The winners of the raffle of three mobile phones among the participants in the “Recharge the Barik with your NFC mobile” pilot project, held last 27 November at the CTB’s offices before a public notary, are the following:
- Mikel Santamaría Guerrero
- Marta Gonzalo Moja
- Mª Eugenia Moro Abascal.
The prizes will be presented to the winners next Friday 4 December at the CTB’s offices.

Having concluded this first phase of the pilot project, the CTB has decided to continue it, maintaining the Barik card consultation and recharge service with NFC mobile telephones operative.

The CTB has practically completed the reforms and adaptation works of the Mamariga shaft, the access to the Metro Bilbao Santurtzi station that was closed on 14th June due to an accidental fire that affected its interior. The opening has taken place one month and a half before the initially scheduled date.
The total cost of the repairs has been calculated at 1,375,000 euros, which will be covered almost in their entirety by the insurance company.

In accordance with the terms and conditions of the raffle of three mobile telephones for the participants in the “Recharge the Barik with your NFC mobile” pilot project, the raffle will take place at the offices of CTB next 27 November at 12.30 pm, before a public notary.
Having concluded this first phase of the pilot project, the CTB has decided to continue it, maintaining the Barik card consultation and recharge service with NFC mobile telephones operative.

The works, which will take three days, will free space occupied by a building in state of ruin.
The works will not affect the surroundings of the station where, since last Easter, the shuttle buses that link the stations of Plentzia and Sopela stop.

This morning the President of the Provincial Council, Unai Rementeria, has presided over his first General Assembly of the CTB, after the Basque Government decreed his appointment as the president of this entity. The Mayor of Basauri, Andoni Busquet, has been chosen as the vice-president of the same entity.

The meeting dealt with, among other matters, the appointment of the institutional representatives of the Provincial Council of Biscay and of the City Councils for their positions in the decision-making body of the Biscay public transport coordination entity.

Among the matters agreed upon today by the CTB’s highest decision-making body were the approval of the governing agreement for the use and maintenance of the new access to the wastewater treatment plant in Galindo of the Bilbao Bizkaia Water Consortium, built in the Urbinaga station of Metro Bilbao. Likewise, the CTB has ratified a new collaboration agreement with the Integral Logistics Technological Centre Foundation (Fundación Centro Tecnológico en Logística Integral de Cantabria, CTL) to provide advice on the implementation of a contactless payment card in this Community’s public transport system, following the experience of the Barik card, as it represents an “ideal” model for the development of the ticketing system in Cantabria, according to the senior management of the CTL.

Users of the 28,000 cards issued free in September 2011 to begin trials on the system and other cards not yet updated can extend the expiry dates at any of more than 500 points in the Bizkaia public transport network: automatic ticket machines on Metro Bilbao, Bizkaibus and Bilbobus ticket booths, tobacconists’, newsagents’ and retailers registered for the system. Just ensure that you complete the process before the date on which your Barik card expires.