Buses in Barcelona
Buses are a widely used form of public transport in Barcelona, with an extensive local and interurban bus network. There is also a network of night buses called Nitbus and a transitway system called RetBus under development. All bus routes serving Barcelona metropolitan area are organized by Autoritat del Transport Metropolità. These buses are operated mostly operated by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, although the city is also served by several private companies.
History
Local buses
The local bus network reaches all neighbourhoods in Barcelona including some municipalities attached to the city and the airport. Local buses are operated for the most part by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona although some lines are operated by private sector companies under contract to TMB. There are over 100 urban lines serving the city and most of them pass through two or more districts, covering relatively long distances within Barcelona. Because of this, some lines called Bus del Barri were created. These lines operate small buses and cover short-haul routes enabling access to shopping areas health care services, schools and other facilities.In 2011, TMB announced plans for an improved bus network, initially dubbed "RetBus". This was introduced in 6 phases between 2012 and 2018 which established 28 high performance lines: 17 vertical, 8 horizontal and 3 diagonal.