Por Ismael Buendia 
In just a few days, one of the great showcases of our city at a national level will kick off in Vélez-Málaga, the Semana Santa 2025. With this motivation, a special urban transport campaign has been presented today to bring this unique tradition of the municipality closer to each of its population centers.
This is the Special Bus Service during Holy Week, a plan to approach our neighbors in hamlets and other populations surrounding the Vélez-Málaga core, with the firm purpose of «facilitating their movements during the great days of Holy Week,» as specified by Celestino Rivas, councilor for Transport and Mobility of the Vélez-Málaga City Council. Rivas, with the invaluable collaboration of municipal technicians, has devised a special plan for these festivities that will connect, through different stops, the populations of Chilches, Benajarafe, Valle Niza, Cajiz, Almayate, Triana, Trapiche, Mezquitilla, and Caleta de Vélez. Each of these enclaves will have one or more stops and various schedules to access Vélez-Málaga.
The measure implemented by the Department of Transport and Mobility has a double benefit in terms of transportation. «First, we have configured a broad and diversified map of stops in locations and schedules so that each user can determine, based on their interests, their choice when approaching Holy Week or returning home,» Rivas stated. In this regard, he emphasized the second positive element of the equation. «This proposal will undoubtedly contribute to not only bringing our great tradition closer to the neighbors but also attracting many people from outside, who can park their vehicles in areas away from the Historic Center and travel directly on the buses.» In this sense, the municipal councilor has not overlooked the growing impact of Holy Week beyond our municipal boundaries, in which measures like the one at hand play a significant role in improvement. Therefore, this could result in reduced use of private transport, reducing traffic congestion in the vicinity of the urban center.
In this regard, a specific note should be made. The Department of Transport and Mobility advises all visitors, in order to avoid the city center being congested with vehicles, to park at the Fairground next to the El Ingenio Shopping Center and travel by public transport, which will pass by at thirty-minute intervals at the designated stop. «It is a comfortable and functional means that will help avoid congestion in the urban center,» emphasized the responsible councilor.
Special service and schedules
The Special Bus Service during Holy Week will be divided into three distinct aspects: a first transport originating from Lagos, another departing from Triana, and a third from Chilches. The buses will operate on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, April 17 and 18, in this special service.
The special transport service will have identical departure and return schedules to the point of origin. The buses from Lagos, Triana, and Chilches will travel to the central station of Vélez-Málaga at 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m., respectively. As for the return, it will take place at 1:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m., and 3:00 a.m. It is worth mentioning that the main difference will be the stops. The route from Lagos will pass through Mezquitilla, Caleta, and Torre del Mar. On the other hand, the route from Triana will pass through Trapiche and the Trops cooperative. Finally, the itinerary from Chilches will cover Chilches costa, Benajarafe, Valle Niza, Cajiz, Almayate costa, Almayate pueblo, and Torre del Mar.
Furthermore, the public transport service between Vélez-Málaga and Torre del Mar, which will maintain its fares, will increase the frequency of buses, operating at intervals of 30 to 45 minutes depending on the chosen schedule.
Safety and approach
After the first weeks of Lent marked by multiple events and activities, organized in coordination between the different Councils and Municipal Areas, with the essential participation of our brotherhoods, groups, and collectives, the celebration of the great Holy Week of the municipality is approaching, for which brotherhoods and citizens prepare their best attire, as they do every year, in an incomparable setting open to visitors from different parts of Spain.
For all these reasons, the Vélez-Málaga City Council, in a rigorous joint effort between all Municipal Delegations and operational services, pays attention to every detail to ensure that the main event of the year’s celebrations achieves the accustomed success. In this same vein, a detailed and carefully planned safety and emergency plan was presented a few days ago, coordinated among the different operational security and protection agents. In addition, the effort made by the Department of Transport and Mobility of the Vélez-Málaga City Council, in line with operational services and the concessionaire company, Travelsa, with the Special Urban Transport Service, has been designed to bring one of our most famous traditions closer to each and every resident of the municipal area, an initiative that will also save users on their travels from the population centers.