XÀBIA OPENS TENDER PROCESS FOR TOURIST TRAIN

The Department of Transportation in Xàbia has published the terms and conditions to provide the tourist train service between the historic centre, Duanes de la Mar and the Arenal for the next four years, a contract for which the operator must pay the town hall a minimum of 6,500 euros per year of operation.

The service will connect the three urban centres during the summer season from June 1st until September 30th, during the Christmas season (December 24th to January 6th) and during Semana Santa and Easter (between Palm Sunday to the Monday after Easter Monday).

The service will start at Duanes de la Mar with the first departure at 10.00am and the last departure at 11.00pm, with a break between 3.00pm and 5.00pm. The second stop will be the Placeta del Convent (on Thursdays – the weekly market day – the stop will move to the vicinity of the municipal indoor market), whilst the third stop will be the car park of the old Masymas in the Playa del Arenal and the fourth next to the Parador Nacional de Turismo.

Applicants must present their proposals with a service provision project which should contain and detail the following information:

• a description of the technical characteristics of the vehicles and equipment;
• a description of the aesthetic and design characteristics of the vehicles;
• a description of the service provided, indicating the following:
  – personnel, number of people and rota, qualifications, training, languages, clothing and substitutions;
  – vehicle maintenance and cleaning programme;
  – provisions in case of total or partial interruption of the service due to causes attributable to the authorised party;
  – rules for the use of the service and the vehicle.

The proposals must also include the rates that will be charged for adults, children aged between 3 and 13 years old (subsidised) and retirees, pensioners and large families who will also be subsidised. They may also present alternatives such as season tickets and special rates for groups.

In addition, the tourist train cannot be older than ten years from its first registration, be a maximum of 20 metres in length, have at least 55 seats and have the sufficient mechanical power to develop the service in accordance with the route conditions and schedules.