Bus service to be linked to trains

Balearic transport minister Francesc Quetglass said yesterday that most of the municipalities in the Inca area will be connected to the railway stations on the Palma to Sa Pobla line by bus. This will be the first measure to be applied under the new Transport Plan. The Balearic government will apply this measure immediately, with the aim of improving public transport in many municipalities which have a poor service. Quetglas explained the plans at a Press conference held in Sineu yesterday. The government wants to start to reorganise all road transport, bringing times into line with those of the train service. When the line to Manacor is reopened, the bus services in that area will also be modified. The first town to benefit will be Alaro, which will be linked to the station at Consell with 15 connections a day, compared to three connections with Palma as at present. The Costitx-Sencelles service will connect with the Inca railway station, and that from Sencelles to Santa Eugenia with the station at Santa Maria. The three concessions which currently link villages near Inca, such as Campanet, Buger, Selva or Mancor, with two or three trips a day, will be unified into one concession which will make between ten and 20 journeys to the Inca station. Lines to the Port of Alcudia, Can Picafort, Marratxi and Santa Margalida-Son Serra, will also be linked with railway stations, guaranteeing connections in 50 per cent of the cases. Quetglas also spoke of the need to unify fares into a single ticket, although he ruled out this being introduced this legslature.