TuBus

The TuBus project was presented by Mayor Ricardo Quiñonez during the 2019 electoral campaign as a municipal initiative aimed at modernizing the urban public transport system, which at the time was characterized by structural deficiencies and security problems. During that period, the so-called "red buses" recorded frequent robberies and irregular service, and many had stopped operating since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3]

In October 2022, the Municipality of Guatemala formalized the acquisition through an eight-year lease-to-own scheme of 69 units destined for the first phase of the system.^[4] In January 2023, the municipality announced that the first route would begin operations in May of that year, presented as an alternative to the decreasing coverage of Transurbano.

On July 6, 2023, the initial phase of operation began with free trips for users.^[5] Subsequently, on September 4, the fare of Q5.00 per trip was made official, set by the City Council and applied from the 8th of the same month.^[6] The announcement generated dissatisfaction among sectors of users, although the fare remained unchanged.

In June 2024, routes 801 and 802 came into operation, originating in the Bethania neighborhood in zone 7.^[7] Months later, on October 28, 2024, 15 electric buses began operations on route 5, located in zone 5;^[8][9] additionally, in December it was announced that route 404 would begin its testing phase in January 2025.^[10][11]

In November 2024, the start of the trial period for route 402 was reported, whose route connects Santa Fe, in zone 13, with the El Trébol area, in zone 12.^[12]

Finally, in September 2025, the Municipality of Guatemala announced the incorporation of 17 new routes and 111 additional units with low-emission technology. According to the municipality, the expansion would be organized into two axes:

• Perimetral Axis, composed of eight lines intended to skirt the city.
• Radial Axis, with nine lines that would connect central zones with peripheral areas.^[13]

The service is paid through the Tarjeta Ciudadana (Citizen Card), contactless credit and debit cards, and the cost of the trip is Q5.00.^[14]