
For years, the elderly residents of La Salut, a neighbourhood in Barcelona, have complained about being unable to get home because the number 116 bus was always too full of tourists. They were flocking to the area to see Park Güell, the cluster of mosaic-covered buildings, staircases and public squares designed like a fairytale village by the legendary architect Antoni Gaudí.
Now they are going to have the service all to themselves as the city council has arranged to have the route deleted online. They’ve made it invisible. While other cities are desperate for tourists, Barcelona has so many of them that it can afford a bit of subterfuge.