Bus line 178 in Buenos Aires: route, stops and timetable

Line 178 is the colectivo (city bus) that links Nueva Pompeya, in the south of the city, with Estación Zeballos, in Florencio Varela. It is run by Compañía de Microómnibus La Colorada S.A.C.I. and, according to SUBE open data, it records about 42,600 trips on a typical weekday in August and September 2026, ranking 37th out of 265 lines. Since August 2024 it has had four ramales (branches), A, B, C and D, which start and end at the same place: what changes is the route they take in between. This guide explains how to choose yours.

Bus 178 route

All 178s leave from Traful and Av. Sáenz, in Nueva Pompeya, take Av. Sáenz and cross the Riachuelo via the Puente Alsina. Once in the province they continue along Av. Remedios de Escalada de San Martín and, further on, split into two groups depending on where they cross Lanús and Avellaneda. They then rejoin on the Camino General Belgrano (Ruta 14) and enter Florencio Varela via Ruta 53, using the lanes of the Metrobús Florencio Varela. The final section is shared by all: Av. 12 de Octubre, Av. Guillermo Hudson and the terminus at Av. Guillermo Hudson and Picheuta, next to Zeballos station on the Roca train line.

According to the sections of the official fare table, the full route ranges from about 30 km (branch A) to about 38 km (branch D).

Bus 178 via Puente Gerli: branches A and B

The 178A and the 178B share the first section: after the Puente Alsina they take Av. Hipólito Yrigoyen and cross the Puente Gerli towards the Camino General Belgrano. There they split. The A continues along the Camino General Belgrano and enters the Metrobús Florencio Varela. The B, which many people search for as “178 por Senzabello” (178 via Senzabello), detours along Av. Calchaquí (Ruta 36) and Bombero Voluntario V. Senzabello before reaching Ruta 53. If you are going to the Av. Calchaquí area, the B suits you; if you are going along the Camino General Belgrano, the A. They are the line’s shortest routes, at 30 and 31 km.

Bus 178 via Av. Mitre and via Larralde: branches C and D

The 178C and the 178D do not cross the Puente Gerli. From the Puente Alsina area they take Av. Rivadavia and Hipólito Yrigoyen and continue along Av. General Bartolomé Mitre. The C runs via Av. Mitre, Av. Fabián Onsari and Crisólogo Larralde to the Camino General Belgrano, and continues along Av. General Mosconi (Ruta 53) and the Metrobús; it covers about 35 km. The D takes a longer route “por Crisólogo Larralde” (via Crisólogo Larralde), with several detours along side streets, and then takes Av. Calchaquí and Senzabello, like the B; it is the longest branch, at about 38 km.

Timetable and frequency

Resolution 801/2024 establishes that all four branches of the 178 run 24 hours a day. It also sets a rush-hour frequency limit: branches B and C may run every 10 minutes at most, and the A and D every 10 and a half minutes; with fewer buses on the road, the interval can reach 14 and a half minutes. There is no official published timetable per branch, so we do not publish exact times.

SUBE data show how demand changes: about 42,600 trips on a weekday, 25,700 on a Saturday and 13,400 on a Sunday. At weekends there is considerably less activity. Before you leave, check the next bus in the BA Cómo Llego app.

Line 178 changes in 2024

Until 2024 the 178 had five branches. With Resolution 801/2024 of the Ministry of Economy, published in the Boletín Oficial (Official Gazette) on 28 August 2024, it went down to four, with three changes worth knowing:

• Branches A and B, which used to end at Florencio Varela station, now continue to Estación Zeballos, via central Florencio Varela and Av. Guillermo Hudson.
• The branch that went to Quilmes (Los Andes and Camino General Belgrano) via Estación Avellaneda and Hospital Presidente Perón was removed. The hospital is no longer a 178 terminus.
• The old branches D (via Av. Mitre) and E (via Crisólogo Larralde) were renamed C and D.

Some official maps and apps still show the old five-branch layout. If you see a 178E or a branch to Quilmes, the information predates August 2024. We found no later changes to the route, operator or night service in 2025 and 2026.

Main stops and connections

The 178 is mainly used to cross the southern suburbs without going through central Buenos Aires. Its best-known points are the Nueva Pompeya terminus, next to the Puente Alsina; the Puente Gerli (branches A and B); the Camino General Belgrano, which all branches use; the Metrobús Florencio Varela on Ruta 53; and Zeballos station on the Roca line, at the end of the route.

Operator, phone and complaints

Line 178 is a national-jurisdiction line run by Compañía de Microómnibus La Colorada S.A.C.I. For complaints about frequency, a bus that did not stop or poor service, the official channel is the CNRT: 0800-333-0300 or the form at control.cnrt.gob.ar. Have the line, branch, time and, if possible, the vehicle number to hand. If the UTA (bus drivers’ union) calls a general strike, the 178 is usually affected like the rest of the AMBA lines: check the day’s news and BA Cómo Llego before you leave.

Tips for riding bus 178

• Check the letter and the “por” (via) on the sign: all 178s reach Zeballos, but A and B go via Puente Gerli, and C and D via Av. Mitre.
• If you are looking for the “178 por Senzabello”, you have two options: the B, via Puente Gerli, or the D, via Crisólogo Larralde.
• Use a registered SUBE card: unregistered, you pay double, and an end-to-end trip pays the over-27 km fare.
• At night and on Sundays there are fewer buses: check BA Cómo Llego before you go to the stop.