The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) published a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening competition in state-level public tenders for long-distance bus services. The authority reviewed draft model tender specifications prepared by Spain’s General State Administration at the request of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
These model specifications will shape how public service concessions for regular interurban bus transport are awarded in the coming years. As such, their design is crucial for determining how easily operators can enter the market and how effectively public funds are used.
The CNMC argues that tenders should generally be divided into separate lots to encourage broader participation and more competitive bids. If a single, large concession is proposed, the administration should clearly justify why this structure is necessary. The authority also recommends avoiding the automatic use of the maximum ten-year concession period and limiting extensions, so as to keep markets contestable over time.
In addition, the CNMC suggests reconsidering requirements that operators allocate a fixed minimum number of vehicles when service frequency obligations already ensure adequate coverage. Where limits are set on vehicle age, these should be based on objective economic criteria, such as depreciation or emissions performance. The authority also calls for a review of staffing and subrogation obligations to ensure they are proportionate and strictly linked to the concession concerned.
On bid evaluation, the CNMC encourages greater reliance on transparent, formula-based economic criteria. It recommends reassessing the weighting of price factors and the thresholds used to identify abnormally low bids, so that they better reflect market realities. It also proposes removing subjective criteria based on “perceived quality” and considering emissions-based metrics to promote cleaner vehicles.
Overall, the CNMC’s intervention reflects its broader mandate to promote effective competition in regulated sectors. By urging adjustments to the structure and evaluation of bus tenders, the authority seeks to reduce barriers to entry, enhance competitive pressure and improve the efficiency of public spending in the passenger transport sector.