Interview with Rafael Barbadillo, president of Confebus

Once the total quarantine decreed by the Government due to the Covid-19 crisis has been overcome, as the days go by, the de-escalation continues to advance in its phases and, consequently, there are fewer and fewer restrictions. However, this health crisis continues to leave major consequences in all economic sectors. Of course, also in transport, one of the hardest hit due to total or partial mobility restrictions, teleworking and the closure of education. In this context, we have spoken with Rafael Barbadillo, president of Confebus, to get his opinion on issues of such importance as the most immediate priorities for the bus sector or his short and medium-term forecasts for a future that currently looks bleak.

Rafael Barbadillo reflects on the current situation of the bus sector

We open our interview, conducted under the conditions required by the current situation, by asking Rafael Barbadillo to take stock of the years he has been serving the bus sector since the first Confederation of Bus Transport created in Spain. A positive assessment in which Barbadillo expresses his gratitude for the willingness of many people to make Confebus a reality, achieving greater visibility for the sector.

Regarding the priorities for de-escalation, a topic that could not be missing from our agenda, Barbadillo emphasizes the fundamental idea that public transport should not be stigmatized as an element where people can get infected.

Without a doubt, the fear of contagion could irremediably affect the economic recovery of the sector, when “protocols and measures are being implemented to make the bus a safe place”, as Rafael Barbadillo comments.

In our conversation, we also discuss topics such as the evolution of the sector in the medium and short term, about which Barbadillo emphasizes that it is a period to try to recover demand after an excellent 2019. In this regard, Confebus proposes a series of measures that could undoubtedly alleviate the economic impact of the crisis.

We invite you to watch the full interview below. But first, we want to highlight a phrase that Rafael Barbadillo comments in the interview and that we found particularly significant: “We are key to the development of sustainable activity, we reach where no other mode of transport reaches; we are fundamental to guarantee access to healthcare, education and work, and furthermore, we are part of the country’s future and therefore we must protect and care for it even more if possible”.

To conclude, we thank Rafael Barbadillo again for the time he has dedicated to attending us, as well as the work that Confebus does every day to give visibility and respond to the needs of the bus sector.

Now, let’s get to the video!