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INPRIMATU
Most of the routes of school transport services in Gipuzkoa were awarded to the consulting company of the Department of Education
  • At the session held by the Basque Government at the beginning of the year 65 Guipuzkoan itineraries were tendered, of which 15 were awarded to the bus company Urpa. Joanes Labayen is one of the administrators of Urpa, where he acted as an advisor.
Irati Irazusta Jauregi 2023ko irailaren 22a
Urpak guztira 3,6 milioi euroko kontratuak lortu ditu. (Argazkia: Urpa)

At the beginning of the year, the bus company Urpa obtained contracts for 15 of the 65 routes tendered in Gipuzkoa. That is, a quarter tour, more than any other company. One of Urpa’s administrators is attorney Joanes Labayen, who attended the session where the routes were tendered. The bus company obtained a contract of EUR 3.6 million.

The Vocento group got the minutes of that meeting and talked to sources from the Department of Education. They have stressed to them that they did not know that the meeting lawyer was administrative of one of the bus companies.

According to the sources, it was most reasonable that the head of the Department of Goenaga's Directorate of Legal Affairs should be present at the meeting, but that he was on holiday and went to Labay to provide him with "timely" advice.

Labayen Cuatrecasas is a law firm and Goenaga was also a law firm years ago. They also reportedly prepared a school transport meeting together.

In this first call, 65 of the 139 itineraries were tendered, so most of the tours were deserted. In August the Basque Government urged companies to carry out the same routes as last year and at that meeting almost all routes in Gipuzkoa (98%) were tendered, unlike those in Álava and Bizkaia.

Watch Gorrotxategi Elkarrekin We have asked lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu for explanations on the subject at the Friday control session. She replied that she had already contacted the Department of Education to clarify what had happened.