TUViana - Transportes Urbanos de Viana celebrated its first year of service last Wednesday, September 23rd. In this period, the company transported over 750,000 passengers, with a daily average of 3,000 people on weekdays. Currently, TUViana has issued 5,600 passes.
The President of the Municipal Chamber of Viana do Castelo, Luís Nobre, described the assessment as “extremely positive”, considering the initiative “the most accurate and assertive decision the Municipality has made in recent years”. Nobre highlighted the creation of a “reliable service that functions at full capacity” and noted that Viana do Castelo is the first municipality in the country with an exclusively electric and sustainable public transport fleet.
The mayor indicated that the estimated savings with the TUViana service, given the rising fuel costs, could reach 700,000 or 1 million euros per year. The installation of a photovoltaic panel structure for the electric charging of TUViana vehicles is underway, with the aim that the charging will be exclusively from solar energy.
Luís Nobre also emphasized the passengers' role in improving the service and the ability to interpret their suggestions. “With TUViana, we have services on days that were not previously considered, we have schedules that did not exist before, and we reach places that were not covered before”, he stated. The mayor stressed that the daily average of passengers on weekdays is 3,000, a number that is “very relevant and growing, in a sustained and consolidated manner”.
Procedures are underway for the acquisition of more vehicles, so that the TUViana operation can cover business parks, a long-standing objective of the municipality. Luís Nobre expects the acquisition process, currently in the proposal evaluation phase, to be finalized “in the coming weeks”.
The president also announced that, “very soon”, the historic electric buses Caramuru and Himalaia will symbolically join the TUViana fleet after refurbishment. “They represent more than two decades of sustainable mobility in the historic center of our city, and it is important to recover that memory”, he highlighted.
Line 7 (Santa Marta via Samonde) shows the highest average passenger variation, with about 450 daily (3,000 weekly), followed by Line 13 (Vila Fria), with 300 daily passengers (over 2,000 weekly). Peak hours are between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM (601 passengers) and from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM (537 passengers).
The stops with the highest number of boarding are Comércio 2, Cidade Nova 2, Escola Secundária de Monserrate, Darque 2, and USF Santa Marta 2.
TUViana, which began operation on September 23, 2025, has 36 operational assistants, three technical assistants, and three senior technicians. The fleet includes 17 vehicles (10 standard, 5 midi, 2 mini) operating on 14 lines. The vehicles are 100% electric, with charging ports for mobile phones, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a kneeling system, and a ramp for reduced mobility.
The fare system includes a general pass for 20 euros (plus 5 euros for issuance), reduced to 10 euros for seniors and people with disabilities. Young people up to 23 years old and former combatants receive a free pass. Single tickets cost 1 euro (pre-purchased) or 1.5 euros (on board). There are also options for 10 trips for 10 euros, a day pass for 5 euros, and a 3-day pass for 12 euros.
