## 5 Conclusions  
The results of this study show how UPT continues its gradual recovery in the number of users as compared to the pre-pandemic situation, but it is evident that the modal shift towards other means of transport is still persistent, and the efforts of public administrations to return to the path of sustainable urban mobility are still necessary. Among the measures that may most easily be adopted in the short term would be those related to the modification of some of the operating variables of the UPT system. However, from the analysis carried out on the city of Almeria urban bus network, no clear correlation was detected between any of the basic operating variables of a typical urban bus network (frequency, average vehicle occupancy, the length of lines, nodality, urban or suburban route, circularity, or intermodality) and the percentage of users recovered in 2022 compared to 2019. Nevertheless, this study has highlighted other interesting results. For example, suburban lines have recovered a significant 12% more users than purely urban lines, despite the better quality of service in those lines, especially in terms of frequency. Although deeper studies about the modal shift are necessary, especially in central locations where non-motorized mobility alternatives are more suitable, the overall analysis seems to indicate that the most determinant factor in the recovery of the number of users in a given UPT line could be the level of dependence of those users on public transport, since the lines which have recovered best are those linked to captive users, either for economic reasons, or due to the lack of viable transport alternatives, regardless of the intrinsic characteristics of the service such as the frequency or the average vehicle occupancy. In fact, these last two variables, possibly the two most representative ones of the quality of the service, did not show a significant correlation with the percentage of recovered users. This is especially striking when compared to the majority of studies carried out during the pandemic or in its aftermath, when both factors were shown to be decisive, especially combined, in maintaining a feeling of safety among users. Given the above, it does not seem that an improvement in the offer, by increasing the frequencies or using vehicles with a greater capacity, could have strong enough an appeal to significantly increase the number of users, especially in already well-served urban areas. In these urban areas, dissuasive measures against the use of private vehicles could be more effective to attract both new users and those who began using UPT during the pandemic. In the same way, public policies aimed at improving the spatial and social coverage of UPTto the maximum extent possible might significantly contribute to increasing the number of users, providing transport alternatives to those who still lack them. The present study reveals new lines of research and leaves some open questions. For example, the analysis of the city of Almeria's bus service should be extended to other medium-sized cities to complete or even question the results obtained here, especially if such studies start with a different modal distribution of transport. It could also be revealing to perform a similar study in areas with a less mature UPT network, where, the improvement in the characteristics of public transport themselves could probably be a sufficient tool to incorporate new users eager to have cheaper and more efficient transport alternatives. Finally, it would also be useful to compare the results obtained in this study regarding the average of users recovered in UPT with those reached in municipalities that have implemented significant restrictions to private vehicles during the past three years such as those that this study suggests. This would allow future research to delve into the effectiveness of the different public policies in promoting a more sustainable urban mobility. This research received no external funding. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data.