Sant Vicenç kept its bus line and made its edges flexible
The corridor that works stays fixed and published. The stops that were rarely used open only when someone asks for them — one line, two behaviours.
- Setting
- Maresme coast · 9,966 residents
- Service model
- Dynamic Bus Line
- Live since
- 2025
- Network
- 27 active stops · 4.53 km²
Results
Total kilometres cut in the first month, while the published timetable stayed unchanged.
Average riders on weekdays, climbing to 118 at summer peaks.
Projected emissions saved as empty edge trips are replaced by requested ones.
What we deployed
One line, two behaviours — switched by day and hour, not by contract
- 01Fixed spine
The core weekday timetable stays published and unchanged for riders who depend on it.
- 02On-demand stops
Outer stops activate only when a passenger requests them through the app.
- 03Weekend switch
Saturday afternoons flip the whole line to fully on-demand, no fixed route at all.
- 04Stops added on data
New stops at Riera de Torrentbó and the cemetery, opened once demand showed exactly where.
A coastal line with a busy core and half-empty edges
Line C-21 carries a steady flow through Sant Vicenç de Montalt and Caldes d'Estrac on weekdays, with a clear peak in summer. But the residential areas at its edges are too scattered for the timetable to serve efficiently, and usage there is concentrated in a handful of moments a day.
Replacing the whole line was never the answer — the core corridor works and residents depend on it. The problem was narrower: a few stretches running near-empty on a fixed schedule, on Saturdays especially, when demand drops but coverage still had to hold.
On site
On weekdays Shotl keeps the C-21 spine on its published timetable — the corridor residents rely on stays exactly as it was. 
Riders who book through the Shotl app share the same vehicle as those boarding at fixed stops — one bus, two behaviours. 
Outer stops like this one only activate when a passenger requests them — Shotl routes the driver there, otherwise the bus stays on the spine.
Borja TrapoteZone Delegate for Maresme, Moventis“Our priority is putting the user at the centre of our decisions. With on-demand transport, we can offer a more efficient and sustainable service, guaranteeing quality on the main routes while responding to real, moment-to-moment needs.”
“We expect to cut kilometres driven by 20% with a service of more quality. This project shows how technological innovation can transform local mobility, making it more attractive to current users and extending efficient access to new areas.”
“This new system gives our neighbours a broader, faster and more comfortable service that connects better with the train station and, therefore, with the whole metropolitan area.”
“A commitment to mobility that’s more sustainable, useful and efficient, and above all suited to the needs of the people of Sant Vicenç.”
“This new configuration lets us optimise resources, and we all benefit as users of the bus.”
“There will also be a new stop on Carrer de la Mercè, and coverage will be extended on Saturday afternoons. We're convinced it will be very well received.”
Similar challenges
The problem isn’t specific to one coastline
What made Sant Vicenç a fit is not the coast. It's a corridor with real, steady volume at its core and edges too scattered for a timetable to serve well — the exact conditions that turn a fixed line into dead mileage at its extremities.
Small towns, suburban corridors and low-density municipalities all share them. Where the pattern holds, so does the model: keep the spine, flex the edges, switch fully on-demand when demand drops further.
Demand responsiveScattered townsCártama
SpainRidepooling across dispersed Málaga municipalities with Grupo Avanza.
Multimodal bookingsMultimodalScottish Highlands
United KingdomHITRANS connects remote Highland communities to the wider transport network.
Demand responsive+500% ridersStradella
Italy28 villages over 234 km² connected with two vehicles — 350 passengers a week.