Barcelona launches zero-emission ferry shuttle connecting beach to La Rambla
'Bus nàutic' will run 12 hours a day every 15 to 30 minutes at a cost of €1.9
A zero-emission ferry shuttle service linking Barcelona's seafront with La Rambla boulevard will begin operating on Thursday.
Two zero-emission, 100% electric catamarans, powered by both solar energy and electric charging, will operate the service.
The 10-minute ride will connect two key docks of the Barcelona port: one at the end of La Rambla boulevard and the other on the beach of San Sebastià, near the hotel W Barcelona.
The service will begin on July 4 and will run 12 hours a day, every 15 to 30 minutes, at a cost of €1.9 per trip. There will also be round-trip tickets, 10-trip tickets, and discounts for children, youth, and seniors.
The two ships, with a capacity of 56 and 84 passengers, have a cruising speed of 10 knots and can cruise continuously for 8 hours.
The president of the Barcelona port Lluís Salvadó said the bus will provide transportation for the nearly 3,400 people who work in the old port, which is home to important companies such as Desigual, Holaluz and the hotel W Barcelona.
Beachgoers will also benefit from the service, as they will be able to reach San Sebastià beach, at the end of Barcelona's seafront, more quickly.
Authorities emphasized that the project will help integrate the port with the city and "alleviating" traffic around the Columbus Monument area.
America's Cup impact
The new service comes ahead of the America's Cup sailing competition, which begins on August 22.
The competition has led to a major transformation of the port, with a total investment of €300 million between the city and the port.
"We are immersed in a process of transformation, reconnecting the city with the sea, something that has not been seen since the '92 Olympics," said Mayor Jaume Collboni at the launch of the service.
Collboni said the launch of 'Bus nàutic' was done in "record time," and that the project had been in the works for more than 15 years and was "accelerated" by the America's Cup.
It is just one of the many projects the local government will unveil in the next two months before the competition begins.
"The next 50 days will be hectic. We are in the final stages of completing the 20 operations in the port," said Salvadó.