Citizens of Pamplona They had an unexpected surprise upon meeting a villavesa from the 80s parked in Taconera Park, in the heart of the city on Bosquecillo Street.
This particular scene caught the attention of passers-by, accustomed to seeing these buses roaming the streets, but not in an environment as emblematic as this urban park and even less with a leap into the past.
The initiative is part of a series of activities organized by the Commonwealth of the Pamplona Region (MCP) to commemorate 25 years of Regional Urban Transport (TUC). The presence of villavesa à la Taconera aims to recall the role of public transport in the mobility of the city and the evolution it has undergone in recent decades.
For many residents of Pamplona, these buses are part of the collective memory, being the usual means of transport for students, workers and families in the 80s and 90s. The vehicles of that era, less modern and without current features, They were essential to the daily lives of citizens.
The simple design of these villavesas and the lack of amenities now taken for granted – such as accessibility or climate comfort – hark back to a time when public transport served a basic but essential function. For residents of Pamplona who used public transportation at that time, review one bus in Taconera It’s a look at the past.
THE MCP took over the management of urban public transport in April 1999. with the aim of solving mobility problems between the municipalities of the urban continuum of Pamplona. As explained this morning, the programmed actions call on memories and also collect the experiences of users throughout these 25 years, with an approach that is both playful and nostalgic.
As part of these planned actions, the work was presented Passenger transport in the Pamplona Region. A historical approach written by the doctor of History David Alegria. The author, present at the event, explained that his work collects transportation history from the horse-drawn carriages of yesteryear, through the Irati and Plazaola trains, the first buses – called “line cars” – and the first taxis, until arriving at the first Villavesas and, finally, to regional urban transport such as we know him today. The book will be available in the next days in digital format on the Commonwealth website: www.mcp.es
Likewise, it was presented the exhibition Two Centuries on Wheels which shows the evolution and fundamental role that public transport has played over the last 200 years, connecting people and places and contributing to the economic, social and urban development of the Pamplona region, as well as the creation of a more sustainable and accessible mobility model . The exhibition can be visited now in the Ansoleaga room at the MCP headquarters until October 13 from Tuesday to Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In addition, also from today until October 13, Bosquecillo Street –near the MCP headquarters–, they will park two villavesas: one from the 80s and an electric bus which is part of the current TUC fleet, so that citizens can see the evolution in terms of comfort, accessibility and efficiency. These vehicles can be visited Monday to Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. from morning to 1:30 p.m.
In addition, The Past 4 theater troupe will invite people who come to these villavesas to take part in a dramatized visit to tell, in a playful tone, the evolution of urban transport. There will be 30-minute passes (the last of each day in Basque) on the following dates: Saturday October 5, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Thursday October 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday October 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday October 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
THE MCP wanted to take advantage of this celebration to schedule a new cycle of visits to the entity’s headquarters which, after the unveiling of the building, will end with the exhibition Two Centuries on Wheels held in the Ansoleaga room. They will be held from today until October 13 and registration will be required on the MCP website. Hours will be Monday to Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Thursday October 3 in Basque); Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Basque) and from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
In collaboration with the Higher Conservatory of Music of Navarrefrom today until October 13, small concerts (solos or duets) will take place on different lines of villavesa during the two weeks of celebration. They will be carried out for one hour per day and without a specific timetable. After performing two or three songs, they will get off the bus to transfer and access another TUC line.
Guided tour by David Alegría, doctor in history and author of the book The transport of people in the Pamplona region. A historical approach. The walk will take place through the center of Pamplona, visiting and commenting on the emblematic points linked to the history of public transport in the Pamplona region. It will take place on Thursday October 3 at 6:00 p.m. and registration will be required on the MCP website.
Concert of the Génies Classiques performed by the string section of the orchestra Pamplona Sinfonietta who will perform works by GF Handel, A. Vivaldi, A. Schoenberg and R. Vaughan Williams. Saturday October 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ansoleaga room of the MCP headquarters, where the Two Centuries on Wheels exhibition is located. Free entry until capacity is reached.
the historian David Alegría will host a round table on history and the news of urban transport in Pamplona from the 19th century to the present day. Wednesday October 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ansoleaga room at the MCP headquarters. Free entry until capacity is reached.
Show with the Navarrese actress Virginia Riezu in which he will present the Villavesadas video with different anecdotes about regional urban transport brought by citizens. Friday October 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ansoleaga room at the MCP headquarters. Free entry until capacity is reached.
