Quartu, 14,000 passengers on buses to the beaches in two months
Success for the direct public transport line between Via Beethoven and the coastPer restare aggiornato entra nel nostro canale Whatsapp
The forecasts were optimistic, the initial results were encouraging, and the final result confirms the initiative's effectiveness: the experimental public transportation service to the beaches of Quartu Sant'Elena has changed the way people experience, or at least reach, the coast. Nearly 14,000 signatures attest to this. This is the final figure for passengers who, from July 4 to September 13, 2026, chose the direct local public transportation line between Via Beethoven and the coastal beaches, including the more distant Mari Pintau, Kal'e Moru, and Geremeas-Marongiu. The Quartu "shuttle," designed to reach the beaches of the extensive coastline from the city center, has won over residents and tourists alike. Promoted by the municipal administration, funded by the tourist tax, and implemented by the CTM, this summer's innovation has made reaching the sea easier, more convenient, and more sustainable, benefiting coastal businesses as well. The new lines have improved accessibility to the Quartu coastline, particularly the beaches of Capitana, Is Mortorius, and Mari Pintau, all the way to Geremeas (Marongiu), offering a safe alternative to private transportation. The service was provided during extended hours to cover the busiest bathing hours. It was operated on a call-out basis, booking through the call center managed by CTM, to ensure an effective response to actual demand. The service, funded by the tourist tax, with a final cost of €110,000, was guaranteed every day of the week, from July 4th to September 13th, 2026, for a total of 71 days, operating from Monday to Sunday, with the exception, as stipulated in the agreement, of the public holiday of August 15th. Overall, usage volumes showed the most significant peaks during weekdays, with a record 352 daily passengers at the beginning of August.
Councilor for Environment, Sustainable Mobility, and Transport, Romina Mura, expressed her satisfaction: "The figures regarding the use of the Quartu-Geremeas connection service are a welcome confirmation of our Administration's brilliant vision in establishing a summer line connecting the city with our most popular coastal resorts. This success also provides us with some interesting food for thought for the future. We believe this summer line should become a permanent fixture and, as such, should be included in the CTM-RAS Service Contract for the coming years. The same goes for public transport services that meet specific needs, such as tourism, but I'm also thinking of the mobility of vulnerable individuals and the elderly, and on-demand services, with a special focus on our suburban areas." "I also want to emphasize that when services are available and meet their needs, our boys and girls, among the primary users of the Quartu-Geremeas line, choose public transportation to get around," continues Council member Milia. "Based on this data, as well as some experiments already completed, such as the nighttime circular bus service to Piazza Matteotti Poetto in the Municipality of Cagliari, also provided by CTM, we should support this trend and, by providing adequate services, create the conditions for it to become a habit now and even more so in the future, with our young people potentially using public transportation regularly, even to go dancing and have fun."
