Mexico City's Centrobús debuts with sparse riders and operational hurdles
Mexico City's Centrobús debuts with sparse riders and operational hurdles
Mexico City's Centrobús debuts with sparse riders and operational hurdles
Mexico City’s new Centrobús—also called the Ruta de las Heroínas Indígenas—officially launched on May 8. The service runs through the Historic Center, offering frequent stops along its path. Passengers pay using the Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada, with each ride costing five pesos. The first day saw light usage, with one bus carrying just two passengers. At various stops, people approached kiosks to ask about the service. However, the República de Uruguay kiosk remained closed due to nearby construction, while other stops were partly hidden by street vendors.
A test trip from *Bellas Artes* to *San Juan de Letrán* took 48 minutes, slowed by heavy traffic. Congestion built up as buses, private cars, pedestrians, bike taxis, handcart vendors, and merchants shared the narrow streets. The kiosks near *Teatro de la Ciudad* and *Palacio de Bellas Artes* provided touchscreens with multilingual details and QR codes for portable phone chargers. Inside the buses, no stop signage was installed during the launch, leaving riders to track their location independently.
The Centrobús began with sparse ridership and some operational challenges. Missing signage and construction-related closures affected accessibility. Despite delays, the service continues as part of the city’s public transport network.