On June 1, passengers on route 778 can breathe a sigh of relief. The line will return to its usual route and timetable, running between Colégio Militar and Campo Grande. And a "778 Special" will be created between Campo Grande and Cidade Universitária, which will operate during the hours not covered by the special "to and from"...
Since the 778 Carris line was extended to Cidade Universitária that Jose gave up picking her up at the Military College terminal. "I live in Benfica and work in Lumiar. I used to take the 778 from the Military School to the stop near my company. It was very punctual, and very much in demand at that time, both at the initial stop and at the Carnide Metro, where it was well composed until the Armed Forces Hospital. He was always on time, every day.”
But the Metro works in Campo Grandewhich forced cuts in the Green and Yellow lines, also generated chaos on the 778. The City Council and Carris have decided to extend this line, which used to run between Colégio Militar and Campo Grande, to Cidade Universitária, without increasing the number of vehicles or updating the circulation schedule. "When the 778 was extended to University City, chaos began. The schedules posted at the stops and on the Carris website were not being followed, and there were mornings when I had 30 and 50 minutes waiting for the bus, with three departures suppressed and the stop getting quite full."says José.
According to what Lisboa Para Pessoas found out from close sources, since the alteration of the 778 route that this line began to operate without schedules. Waiting times at each stop were now conditioned by the time it would take the 778 buses (there was no increase in the number of vehicles on this route) to make the extended route, with all the associated externalities (such as traffic). The schedules displayed on the website, on Google Maps or at the stops no longer made sense.
Luckily for Jose, 27, a digital interface designer, and so many other daily users of the 778, this career is back on its original course. Starting this Thursday, June 1stThe 778 returns to make the route between Campo Grande and Colégio Militar to "to respond to customer requests to restore the frequency and service of the route", according to information the Carris. At the same time, the municipal operator will create a derivation of 778. One "778 Special", which will circulate only between Cidade Universitária and Campo Grande at times not covered by the Chamber's "coming and goingOn weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and on weekends (during the usual schedule for this line, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.).
The "778 Special" between Campo Grande and University City is a circular line. With terminal and departure at Avenida Prof. Gama Pinto, near the Cantina Velha, it continues via Alameda da Universidade, Campo Grande and Rua Actor António Silva, near the metro station of Campo Grande, making a stop together with the 767 line. From here continue back to Cidade Universitária, by the side next to the City Museum.
José had sent three complaints to Carris about the unexpected extension of the 778, suggesting that more buses be placed on this route and that the passing times be updated. In the meantime, he gave up going to the office: "I decided to stick with telecommuting or take the 703 which left me further away, but was more certain. Now the 778 is back to normal, never having had updated schedules since the extension made in May."
Also Sara, 34, designer, José's colleague, had stopped using the 778. "I used to take the 778 daily to and from Benfica. With the construction of the Metro, the bus route was extended without any warning to Carris users and the 20 minute interval between lines became more than 60 minutes, in both directions".he tells LPP. "Using the Metro was not an alternative and I had to use TVDE a few times to get to work. Walking home became a reality, about an hour. I then switched to my own conventional bicycle. Forty minutes of travel, and even with a bike lane, it's a daily adventure in this city."
Replacement buses between Campo Grande and Cidade Universitária
The cuts on the Green and Yellow lines will last until July 7th, where the six carriages on the Vede Line are due back by June 20. In response to these constraints, the Lisbon Municipality, Metro and Carris have the following replacement road services in service from June 1st until the end of the works:
| Career | Schedule | Route | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| CML's "come-and-go" service | From 6 to 10 am and the 4 to 8 PMon working days | Cidade Universitária - Campo Grande (circular) | Free use, always passing |
| "Carris' "778 Special | From 10 am to 4:30 pmon working days; and from 7 to 21 hours on weekends and holidays | Cidade Universitária - Campo Grande (circular) | Usual fare (passes and occasional tickets), always passing |
| Metro's "come-and-go" service | From 7 am to 10:30 am and the 4:30pm to 7:30pmon working days | Cidade Universitária - Campo Grande - Telheiras (ring road) | Regular fare (passes and occasional tickets), 12-13 minute frequencies |
Check here the routes of each replacement road service:
Note that, unlike the Lisbon City Hall "shuttle", which only has two stops (the one in Cidade Universitária and the one in Campo Grande, the "778 Special" makes more stops: five towards Campo Grande and three towards Cidade Universitária, so the travel time may be longer than the service offered by the City Hall.
