Transport Metropolitano de Barcelona (TMB) will be giving up 16 TMB buses and 1 truck to four non-profit organizations for projects in Spain, Ukraine, Senegal, and Morocco. These buses have been in service for over 15 years as public transportation in Barcelona and the metropolitan area, but they can still have a second life supporting humanitarian projects. The 16 transferred buses are standard vehicles, 12 meters long, and can carry about 80 people. In addition to these buses, Catalonia also granted a truck to the NGO Soolidaris to assist in logistical tasks in the Valencia area affected by Dana, especially in Paiport.
Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, expressed, «It is a pride that TMB is giving up these vehicles to carry out social and humanitarian functions in countries and places that need it.» In turn, TMB’s president, Laia Bonet, stated that these donations reflect the «solidarity and public vocation of a company like TMB,» which not only ensures the right to mobility in Barcelona but also collaborates in humanitarian, social, and cultural projects. This donation is the result of a public competition for projects of social interest and/or humanitarian action for the free and unlimited transfer of certain vehicles in use by Transports de Barcelona SA.
Following the deadline for project submissions and evaluation, four entities met the regulatory criteria of the call: the Convent of Santa Clara Foundation, the United Regions Organization Oru Fogar, the Friends of Moroccan Itran Village Association, and the Solidaris de Catalunya drivers’ NGO.
Moving People to Ukraine
Twelve of the 16 donated buses will go to Ukraine through the Santa Clara Convent Foundation. Their purpose will be to ensure the mobility of conflict victims, especially in areas where infrastructure has been destroyed. These vehicles will facilitate the transport of children and youth to schools, enable the movement of people living in attack-prone areas to safer territories, facilitate the transfer of wounded individuals, and support the transportation service in major cities.
The project presented by the Convent of Santa Clara Foundation responds to the emergency caused by a war that not only resulted in destruction, deaths, and injuries but also displaced thousands of families and left many cities without adequate means of transportation. This foundation will work in collaboration with the Frontra Guard in Ukraine, which will also ensure the resources to maintain these vehicles. A mechanics team is expected to travel to Barcelona to assess the maintenance needs of these vehicles.
School Transportation in Senegal and Morocco
Two of the 16 buses will travel to Senegal, specifically to the Dagana department, to be used as school transportation in rural and peri-urban areas, a service that will help reduce absenteeism and dropout rates, especially among girls. The request for these vehicles is based on a mission from Barcelona that the president of the departmental council in Dagana, Ababacar Khalifa Ndao, was invited by Oru Fogar just over a year ago.
The other 2 buses, provided to the Midt province in Morocco, will also be used as school transportation to reduce school dropout rates in the rural and mountainous areas of the province. The buses will be managed by the Provincial Council of MIDT for a period of 5 years.
A Truck from Valencia for Dana’s Impact
In addition to the 16 buses, TMB is also giving up a truck to the Solidaris drivers in Catalonia, who have been working in the Valencia area affected by Dana from the beginning. This NGO will use the vehicle in this area, and if necessary, include it in other humanitarian projects carried out in Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau.
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