Interurban bus operators in Catalonia will be legally required to guarantee services in Catalan, following the approval of new legislative measures. The changes, introduced through the Law on Accompanying Budget Measures, amend both the 1987 Road Passenger Transport Act (Law 12/1987) and Decree-Law 5/2026, mandating that operators uphold users' linguistic rights.

Under the revised rules, companies must ensure that Catalan is used routinely in service delivery. For the first time, frontline staff, including drivers, inspectors, customer service agents, and incident managers, must have at least a B1 level of proficiency in Catalan. This requirement is now a binding condition of service provision, with non-compliance subject to corrective measures and penalties.

The concessions affected, which extend until 2034, are operated by companies including Moventis (Sarbus, Sarfa, La Vallesana), Sagalés, Monbus (Hispano Igualadina), Hife, Alsa (Alsina Graells), Plana, and Teisa. These services are used daily by thousands of residents across Catalonia, yet until now, there were no explicit, enforceable provisions ensuring service in Catalan.

Pressure from Advocacy Groups Achieves Breakthrough

The change follows sustained pressure from civil society organisations, particularly Plataforma per la Llengua and Promoció del Transport Públic (PTP). In May 2026, both groups criticised the initial decree extending bus contracts for lacking linguistic safeguards. The decree was approved by the Catalan Parliament with support from PSC, ERC, Junts, and PP, without including language protections.

Plataforma per la Llengua welcomed the eventual inclusion of linguistic clauses but regretted the delay. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on 7 August 2026, the group celebrated what it called a 'linguistic victory', highlighting the B1 requirement and enforceable mechanisms as key achievements.

"Linguistic provisions should be included by default in all public service regulations,"

the organisation stated, noting that while the new rules represent significant progress, they should not have required a separate legislative push.

The integration of language clauses into both sector-specific transport legislation and the decree governing contract extensions strengthens their legal standing. Plataforma per la Llengua hopes the precedent will lead to similar requirements in other outsourced public services, ensuring Catalan remains fully usable in everyday public life.

The amendments were finalised as part of the Budget Accompanying Measures Law, which was processed through the Catalan Parliament and published in the Official Gazette of Catalonia (DOGC). The full text of Decree-Law 5/2026 is available via the Department of the Presidency.

Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by vilaweb.cat, Maria Pascual, Dolors Bellés, Adrià Asbert, Parlament de Catalunya, parlament.cat, Departament de la Presidència, Departament d'Edicions del Parlament de Catalunya, azarplus.com, 20minutos |, europapress.es, El Món, Llibertat.cat, Racó Català.