A strike by La Alcoyana drivers is reducing intercity bus services across Alicante and its metropolitan area on Thursday 24 September. The disruption includes the C-6 airport connection, routes serving the University of Alicante and links with Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Mutxamel and El Campello. Minimum services are operating, but passengers should not rely on the normal timetable.
An Alicante City Council notice, updated on Wednesday, lists routes 21, 23, 24, C-6, 30, 35, 36, 38A and 40 because they serve the municipal area. Vectalia’s operator-wide list is longer: it also includes 41, C-51, C-52 and C-53, plus routes 45, 46, C2, M-1, M-2 and U-1. The two notices cover different geographical scopes rather than contradicting one another.
Airport and campus journeys face the greatest time pressure
The C-6 connects Alicante with Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport and has its own minimum-service table. The 24 runs from the bus station to the university campus, which is also served by the affected 36 and 38A routes. Sant Joan University Hospital lies on routes 23, 35, 38A and C-53.
The official tables are split into groups of routes and Vectalia warns that times may change. The relevant reference today is therefore the operator’s alert dated 24 September, not the standard timetable on each route page. Anyone travelling for a flight, hospital appointment or fixed class time should check the individual departure and allow extra time; traffic and passenger loads can also affect actual arrival times.
The confirmed disruption concerns the intercity buses named in those notices. Masatusa employees are due to join a rally in Plaza del Ayuntamiento, but Alicante’s ordinary urban routes do not appear in the official minimum-service list for this strike. The demonstration coincides with the city council meeting and brings together staff from La Alcoyana Alicante, Masatusa and La Alcoyana Alcoy.
The dispute resumed after a summer pause
Drivers postponed strike action planned for June to allow more time for talks. Their representatives now say fleet breakdowns, working-time records and unfulfilled commitments remain unresolved. Committee secretary Paco Gallego told Radio Alicante that more than 200 breakdowns had been recorded in one month. That figure is the union side’s account; the broadcaster said Vectalia offered no response when asked about the dispute.
The maintenance and working-hours claims explain why the strike was called, but they do not by themselves establish the condition of every bus operating today. For passengers, the narrower confirmed fact is that the listed routes are running to minimum-service tables available through the operator.
The published disruption applies to 24 September. An agreement between management and drivers, further strike dates or a regional government response on oversight of the service would change the story and warrant an update. For today’s journeys, late changes should be checked through Vectalia’s alerts and information at the stop.
Original editorial illustration about reduced bus services. This AI-generated conceptual image does not document Alicante, a real vehicle or an actual scene from the strike.