Història de la CGA (1922-1940)

Urban public transport is part of our daily lives, but this has not always been the case. It has a long and complex history of activity behind that usually passes unnoticed. The Compañía General de Autobuses, which operated in Barcelona between the 1920s and the 1930s, is one of the most exciting chapters in the history of public transport in the city.

Published to mark the centennial of Barcelona’s bus network being held this year, the book Història de la CGA (1922-1940) reveals how this business adventure emerged, launched by the Catalan bourgeoisie and linked to British industry, and faced its demise during a historical period of upheaval.

The CGA revolutionised 1920s Barcelona with its Tilling-Stevens models, English-manufactured vehicles that operated with the petrol-electric system, a new development in the city. 

Its success compelled the tram company to put its own buses quickly into service. The collision between the two companies ended up in the courts and, while the CGA always stood out for technological renovation, service quality and commitment to the public, it vanished from sight after the Civil War.

Armed with ambitions, innovation and a vocation for service finally killed off by the country’s post-war economic circumstances, the CGA has a history behind it that explains the role of buses in the urban life of 1920s and 1930s Barcelona, two decades of contrasts marked by dictatorships, freedoms and war.

The TMB Foundation is recovering the company’s history to keep the spirit of the CGA alive, which remained a firm in its aim ill to serve the city, even during the worst of times.

The Centenary program section offers you full information on the Centenary’s commemorative events and activities.

The book will be on sale in bookshops (date to be confirmed) and on Sant Jordi / St George’s Day, at the TMB stands in Jardinets de Gràcia and Passeig de Lluís Companys (Arc de Triomf).