EMT 1986-2005.

The creation of the EMT (1986)

On the 17th of January 1986, the Mayor of Valencia, Ricard Pérez Casado, and the manager of SALTUV, José Jara Moreno, signed an agreement to become municipal and therefore Valencia's Council obtained the all of SALTUV's shares, and took on complete control of the company's management. The company changed its name to the "EMPRESA MUNICIPAL DE TRANSPORTES (EMT)" (Municipal Transport Company).

The EMT's first actions where directed at fixing the company's financial situation, modernizing the fleet, and developing publicity campaigns in order to make citizens conscious of the importance of using public transport. With these actions the decline in the amount of passengers was halted and a period of improvement began. The negotiation for the collective agreement was fierce that year as there were many confrontations between strikers and police.

Ángela Torrecilla Parreño was the first female driver in the EMT. She began in 1985.

With the acquisition of 50 Pegaso model 6038 buses the fleet reached 335 vehicles. That year the Transport Area Offices at the "Calle de Nuestra Señora de Gracia" were inaugurated.

 

 

 

In September 1987, due to the internal crisis suffered by the PSPV, the EMT's board of directors suffered changes such as Manuel del Hierro García becoming the new president.
Due to the agreement reached with the "Universidad Politécnica de Valencia" , the EMT inaugurated its Vehicle Diagnosis Centre. The company participated in Expojove for the first time and 56 new Pegaso model 6420 busses were acquired causing the fleet to reach 355 vehicles. That summer lines 21 and 22 started running joining line 20 that for had done so two years.

On the 3rd of March 1988, José Cabrera Gonzálbez was elected the new EMT president and on the 1st of August, Ramón Ruiz Hernández, was chosen to be the new managing director replacing José Jara Moreno. On the 9th of October the "Metro" (Subway) was inaugurated in Valencia. The EMT modified its network (lines 9, 61 and 62) in order to accommodate the new situation. The benefits of these measures would be not reflected until two years later, however the amount of passengers that year reached 90 million.
In 1989, The EMT's Corporative Identity Manual came into effect at that same time, in June, it participated in the UITP congress. 60 new Reanult PR100.2 model busses started circulation and during the month of August the Customer Information and Services Office was created.

 

In 1990, the EMT, due to the measures they adopted two years before , experienced extreme growth in the amount of passengers: 8.25 million passengers more than the year before (a total of 97 865 815). The fleet increased the number of units to 391 busses in service, with the incorporation of 31 new Renault PR100.2.
That same year the EMT created lines 10, 14, 15, 29, 36 and 91, the last one of these was created to replace the FGV's line 4, which had just been eliminated. At the same time the publicity campaigns promoting public transport continued using the slogan "CHANGE YOUR CAR, CATCH THE BUS".

 

The 1991 Elections

In 1991, when Rita Barberá reached Valencia's City Council, due to the coalition formed by the "Partido Popular" and "Union Valenciana", Francisco Camps Ortiz was named the president of the EMT. The new board of directors continued strengthening public transport, increasing the amount of busses in the fleet to 450 units after acquiring 57 Renault PR100.2 busses and 2 new MAN busses for physically disabled passengers.

On the 4th of March line 12 started running and four days later, lines 40 and 41 completely modified their route. The EMT participated in a project involving the exchange of experiences with people with reduced mobility, funded by the CEE. The number of passengers reached 105 million, a number which would be beaten in 1992, with totals reaching 111 Million. Another 10 Renault PR100.2 busses joined the fleet.

On the 14th of July, VASA was dissolved, it's lines were rising in the "Consorci Valencià de Transports (CVT)", which was created by the Metropolitan Transport Plan which tried to unite passenger transport given by EMT, CVT and the railways of the Generalitat Valenciana.
The following year (1993), 41 Renault R-312 busses were acquired rising the amount of vehicles in the fleet to 480 units, a program to help non government organizations and countries in difficult financial situations (19 units were donated to Nicaragua, Senegal, Mauritania, Cuba and the Sahara) began and the "Sistema de Ayuda a la Explotación"-SAE was put to work.

In 1994, the EMT's capital stock was increased reaching 725 995 000 pesetas. On the 7th of February, line 18 was inaugurated and the first stone was placed at the South Deposit (San Isidro Garage).
At "Camino Hondo", an automated system for the provision of fuel for 100 busses was put to work. On the 21st of May, The electric tram started circulating around the cities of Valencia again, but the amount of passengers kept on increasing for the EMT to 116 million. 

Inauguration of San Isidro and the North Depot

On the 26th of April 1995, Rita Barberá, the Mayoress of Valencia and Francisco Camps the president of the board of directors of the EMT inaugurate the South Deposit, also known as San Isidro. On the 13th of July, Jorge Bellver replaces Francisco Camps as the president of the company.

 

 

That same year, line 73 was created (month of May) and ten new R-312 busses were received. In October the demolition of the Portalet garage began. In December "Autobuses&Autocares" Magazine chose EMT to be the best urban transport company of that year. During that period the BUSSI informative channel started being used on busses belonging to line 61.

 

In 1996, the EMT signed an agreement to collaborate with REPSOL in developing and investigating the use of lesser polluting fuels. In the month of July, the president of the EMT, Jorge Bellver, presented the biobuses, which were used throughout the network's different bus lines until January of the following year. On the 30th of September, 21 Mercedes 0405 N2 busses started circulating, 9 of which had a kneeling system with a ramp.

 

 

In March 1997, 55 Renault Citybus busses were presented, 6 of which had a kneeling system with a ramp. In July the EMT signed an agreement to collaborate with CEGAS in the implantation of a bus run on natural gas in the company's lines.

Throughout 1998, 12 Mercedes busses, 30 Renault City bus busses and 1 MAN 11.220HOCL bus (used to give a door to door special service) joined the fleet and started circulating. That same year the EMT became the official transport used by C.B Pamesa (Valencia's basketball team).

 

 

On the 16th of February 1999, 42 busses belonging to the following models: Mercedes Benz 0405-N2, Renault Citybus and Scania Omnicity were presented at the "Plaza del Ayuntamiento". On the 26th of May, Rita Barberá and Jorge Bellver inaugurated the North Depot.
That same year with the aim of improving user information, the EMT made its new sign collection public.

 

Customer Orientation Plan (2000)

In 2000, the EMT presented an ambitious Renovation Plan, divided in three phases. This plan, pushed forward the development of the Customer Orientation Plan, which was aimed at improving the information and attention given to the client as well as adapting the offered service to their needs. The plan forced internal restructuring to the company, leading towards the design of new areas such as the Commercial area, Operations area, Human Resources area, Technical area, Administration area, Organization area, Systems area and the Quality area.

That year 40 new busses were acquired belonging to the following models: Mercedes Benz 0 405-N2 (10), Scania Omnicity (10) and Irisbus citybus(20).
In 2001, line35 started circulation (Plaza del Ayuntamiento-Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias), the nocturnal timetable was extended, the EMT joined the WWW with its web site and the UPV gave the EMT a special Diploma recognising it's collaboration in Educational Collaboration Programs. The fleet received 40 new busses (20 Renault Citybus, 15 Scania Omnicity and 5 Mercedes Cítaro).

In 2002, the Commercial area was born and 3 hybrid Irisbus Altrobus model busses are acquired with the funding obtained from the Local Operative FEDER Program. In the month of November the ECOBUS project which had been approved by the European LIFE Commission started off and the New EMT Headquarters located at the "Plaza Correo Viejo" nº 5 in Valencia was inaugurated.
In December the new EMT NOTICIAS HOY magazine came out, being used as an internal bulletin for the company.

Valencia: Towards urban ecology

Also in 2002, the European LIFE commission approved the ECOBUS project which consisted in producing biofuel which came from vegetable oil collected all over the city. The EMT therefore becomes a European pioneer in implanting these types of systems. On the 31'st of July, the EMT publicly declared its Environmental Policy, in which it sets the points that will inspire its business related activity.

In 2003, the EMT continued with its environmental commitment, handing over one of its busses to the ASIMILEC association in order for it to participate in the TRAGAMOVIL project, that has the aim of recovering and recycling used mobile phones.

 

 

Also that year, the European Environmental LIFE Commission, approved the URBANBAT project, which is promoted by Valencia's city council and that has the main aim of defining an integral management model for liquid residues generated during the general circulation and maintenance of Valencia's public transport fleet.

It was an ambitious project since it should be able to be exported to any other European urban or interurban transport company with a similar situation to the one contemplated in the URBANBAT.
On the 3rd and 4th of April, the "X Jornadas sobre Transporte Urbano" (10th Urban Transport Convention) organized by the "Asociación de Empresas Gestoras del Transporte Urbano Colectivo", ATUC (Association for the Collective Urban Transport Management Companies) with the help of the EMT took place at the "Palacio de Congresos de Valencia".
In June, Alfonso Novo Belenguer is named the new president of the EMT, replacing Jorge Bellver.

 

UNE EN ISO 14001 Certification (2004)

2004 was the year for preferential treatment towards the customer, without forgetting about the environment. The eighty or so actions that took place had the aim of making customers loyal , convincing new customers, employee satisfaction, management efficiency and the use of alternative energy.

On the 27th of May, line N1 (night service), was divided into N1A and N1B, line 10 changed it's name (Benimaclet-Sant Marcel.lí) and many other lines changed their route due to the large amount of road works in Valencia at the time.

41 new standard busses (17 Renault Citybús, 17 Scania Omnicity and 7 Mercedes Cítaro) and 2 Dennis Dart busses which are adapted for service to physically disabled people join the fleet and for the first time, the EMT acquires 15 Irisbus Cityclass busses run by compressed natural gas (GNC) which forces the construction of a station for "filling while parked" for 25 busses in San Isidro.

Various informative publications were released: "Dossier sobre autobuses Dennis" (Dossier about Dennis busses); "Dossier Internacional y trípticos sobre el proyecto Ecobús" (International Dossier and leaflet about the Ecobus Project); "Dossier sobre las características de la nueva estación de carga" (Dossier about the new characteristics of the gas filling station); "Informe de actividades ambientales 2003-2004" (Report about environmental actions 2003-2004) ; "Dossier sobre autobuses provistos de plataforma baja y rampa" (Dossier about busses with low platforms and ramps); "Tríptico con la evolución de la flota 1994-2004" (Leaflet explaining the evolution of the fleet 1994-2004) and the "Nueva Guía Interactiva del Transporte Urbano" (New Interactive Guide for Urban Transport).
The LIFE-ECOBÚS project is presented in Strasbourg and Portugal and 7 busses are donated to Cuba.

On the 14th of December, the EMT achieved Environmental Management System Certification , by complying with the UNE EN-ISO 14001 norm, for "INTEGRAL MANAGEMENT OF BUS PASSENGER URBAN TRANSPORT". The ceremony in which the certificate was given to the EMT by AENOR took place on the 7th of February 2005 , in simple event celebrated at the San Isidro garages, and which was assisted by Alfonso Novo, Ramón Ruiz and the managing director of AENOR, Ramón Naz amongst others.

The certification obtained by line 5 is a product certification which means that it guarantees the quality of the service given to the client.
Its implantation involves a control system which includes the service, the evaluation of customer satisfaction and the evaluation of the Quality Management System.

 

Line 5 Certification (2005)

On the 1st of June, the EMT received UNE-EN 13815 Certification from AENOR for line 5, Interior, due to the quality of the service offered. The ceremony was assisted by the mayoress, Rita Barberá, the president of the EMT, Alfonso Novo, the managing director, Ramón Ruiz, and the managing director of AENOR, Ramón Naz.

During that same month, EMT established special services in order to cover the regatas belonging to ACTS IV and V of the America's Cup.
On the 13th of June, the City Council continued with its policy for the protection of public transport by putting to work a Smart vehicle, which belongs to the municipal police and that has the main duty of cleaning the bus lane of obstacles and cars.

On the 12th of September, members of London Transports visited the EMT and the City Council of our city. The Londoners were here working on the BISTRO project, whose aim is very similar to that of ECOBUS.
On the 24th of October, nocturnal line N10 started offering its services and was presented to the press by EMT president, Alfonso Novo.

Night Service line N10.
Called "Ronda Trànsits", this line will cover the same route as line 90. It's a circular route that begins and ends at the "Avenida de Campanar-La Fe". Whereas the rest, start from the "Plaza del Ayuntamiento" towards the exterior of Valencia, line 10 connects all these lines amongst themselves allowing clients more flexibility when travelling at night.

On the 18th of November, "RENFE-Cercanías" and EMT sign a collaboration agreement.

On the 20th of December, Luis David Cayrols, one of the EMT's bus drivers won the I Photography Contest organized by the EMT NOTICIAS HOY Magazine, with the photograph named "Una mirada atras" (A look back).
The number of EMT passengers during the year were 102753126 (1750735 more than the year before), demonstrating the EMT's recovery from the loss of passengers produced by the Existence of the Subway and Trams.

 

Municipal Police Smart Vehicle.