The Balearic Government’s mobility ministry is to increase the budget for buses in Mallorca by 150 million euros and the supply of bus public transport by 50%.
This will require modifications to the conditions for the current concessions to operate the TIB buses (Palma buses are separate and not included) and cabinet approval for multi-year spending. Changes to the contracts are expected to be for the next six years.
The 50% increase in supply and the increased budget will only partially be because of new buses – 27 to increase the total fleet to 257. There will be alterations to the distances covered by the existing contract conditions – by up to eight million kilometres.
At present there are 71 routes. A combination of ‘free’ public transport for residents and increased numbers of tourists has led to a significant increase in demand and also to complaints about overcrowded buses as well as deficiencies on certain routes.
For the 2024 summer season, frequencies were increased on 24 routes and a new line was added – Santa Ponsa to Esporles. For the winter season (November 1-March 31) there have been increased frequencies on 27 routes.
Between January and August this year, the number of passengers rose by 3.7 million compared with the same period of 2023 (when buses were already free). The total over the eight months was 19.4 million.
