Public transport in La Plata is currently experiencing a moment of daily unease and cautious expectation. With the onset of summer and the reduction in frequencies, for many residents, traveling by bus became an experience marked by long waiting times, heat and increasingly uncomfortable journeys, while the announced improvements are still not reflected on the roads.
“I take the 17 or the one that drops me off in Romero, but now I take the 16 because I know it comes faster. The problem is that they have released units and the drivers themselves tell you,” said Yanina, a user who uses the Oeste bus every day to go to work. According to him, the loss of a unit can mean a wait of up to an hour, especially in the morning or on weekends, with the risk of delay.
The delays are repeated in different parts of the city. Marcelo, a daily traveler on the Eastern Line, assured that in summer some lines run every 40 or 45 minutes and when they finally arrive they are full. “Since they are so far apart, they come full circle and don’t stop. And that’s understandable, because otherwise we travel like cows,” Yanina added.
In this context, several passengers use the application to calculate travel times or resort to more expensive alternatives. “There were days when I had to take an Uber motorcycle to get to work early,” confessed Elisa, a Southern Line passenger.
“What happens during the holidays is they take out buses. So they last longer. It would be good if they made a change that would create more transportation options and cut fewer services.
Mabel Line 275 user
Likewise, the problem is worse in neighborhoods where only one line serves or there are very few options. “There is only one bus that goes through my house, the South, and if you don’t take it you have to wait a long time,” explained Belén, a resident of the Cementerio neighborhood at numbers 131 and 85.
For her part, Jennifer, a user of route 214, noted that she often has to walk several blocks to get around due to the lack of alternatives. “If the one we normally take doesn’t pass, we have to go to 60 and 128 to take another one and in this heat that does a lot of damage,” he said.
“I take the bus every day because I get to work and it’s torture waiting for it. More in the morning. And on the weekends I won’t even tell you. “You miss a bus, have to wait an hour and are late for work.”
Yanina Western Line user
In recent days, this newspaper has featured another story on the hardships of those passing through the southeastern area. “The Este company is already reporting that ‘summer hours’ apply. However, people continue to work the same hours as always, so this reduction in service does not take into account the reality of those of us who rely on public transport,” said a resident of Villa Elvira. “In practice, the buses pass by at 5:30 a.m. and do not return until 6:40 a.m., leaving a period of more than an hour without service. As they leave the area, the units are ‘exploded’ with people. In addition, they enter the airport and then onto 13th Street, losing valuable time for those of us going to work,” the user said.
There are also repeated complaints about the complete lack of services in both the north and south. “They never added Branch 10 to the East Line – which was on Line 7 – and Line 80 only goes to Sicardi Park,” said the woman, who commutes between that area and downtown, adding that “there would be another line entering the neighborhood to expand travel options, or a fast line 518 to Sicardi.”
Something similar in the Gorina area. Alejandro, a user of the Northern line and line 273, explained that he takes the bus on Camino Belgrano. “Nobody comes by for days, 20 or 30 minutes, and then they all come together and get crowded. Sometimes when they get so full, they don’t stop,” he complained.
more buses, longer routes
Given this situation, several users agreed that the solution involves higher frequency and wider routes.
“Send more buses because many of us are suffering,” one of the neighbors demanded, while another called for the routes to be closer to neighborhoods and schools. “Another block would help a lot, especially for the children,” said Marta, a resident of the Puente de Fierro neighborhood.
In parallel with this scenario, the La Plata Deliberative Council approved this month a reform of the transport system that extends the concession and establishes a series of requirements aimed at improving the service and thereby increasing its use by 50%.
The new regulation is scheduled to be awarded in February 2026 and come into force in March. “I knew they wanted to offer more buses and more routes, and I think that’s great. I don’t know exactly where it would go or when it would be applied,” said Mabel, a frequent traveler of 275.
Other neighbors directly admitted they were unaware of the impending changes, but agreed that increasing frequencies would ease the situation.
The changes include the aim of extending the route of the Northern Line from 115 to 134 kilometers, with roundabouts on Centenario and Belgrano streets and the extension of junction 28 to the El Rincón district. In the case of the Eastern line, the redesign will change the routes, such as those of branch 16, which departs from lines 32 and 122, and branch 14, which reaches lines 1 and 44 but no longer reaches lines 32 and 122. Line 518’s route would be extended via lines 11 and 609, and branch 15 no longer reaches line 11 via lines 609; This route is covered by branch 11. At Parque Sicardi, the new Branch 14 will add a route along 650th Street from 7th Avenue. The route would be 510 km long instead of 481 km, i.e. six percent more. The West Line – which includes lines 561 and 508 – will have roundabouts and extend from kilometer 526 to kilometer 600. In addition, two “fast” services operate at kilometers 520 and 44. The specifications also provide for roundabouts towards El Peligro and Industrial Park II of Route 2, a similar service between Melchor Romero and Abasto and the extension of junction 84 to Frigorífico Gorina.
An extension from 256 to 269 kilometers is planned for the southern line (which runs alongside line 506). These include a roundabout on 60 to Route 36, new routes for 506 on 90 and 155, and on 79 and 143. Junction 21 (Altos de San Lorenzo) and 80A from 506 will also be retouched.
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