Palma bus company opens environment friendly depot

Mayor Joan Fageda yesterday opened the new logistics and environmental depot of the EMT (Municipal Transport Company), claiming that it had the biggest solar energy plant in Europe. Pedro Alvarez, the chairman of the EMT, explained that the new centre has 2'052 photovoltaic panels of 115 watts each, a transformer centre, monitoring and maintenance system and will lead to a reduction in pollution-causing emissions of 339'074 kilos a year. The new logistics centre is on a plot of land of 30'000 square metres in Son Ferriol, and Alvarez said that the challenge for the EMT was to become one of the leading urban transport companies respectful of the environment. As a result, he said, the new installations have been adapted to their surroundings, using or re-using the existing resources. The logistics centre has a network of roads and parking spaces covering 23'300 square metres, with room for 150 buses, maintenance, traffic and administration areas, a fuelling area and a section for cleaning the vehicles. It also has a fuel supply station with three 50'000 litre tanks, an exterior bus wash with four lines, another for recovering water and inverse osmosis. The garage has facilities for treating and recovering waste and, by selective collection, will treat used oils, anti-freeze, batteries and dissolvents to prevent pollution. According to Pedro Alvarez, for the first time in its history, the EMT has managed to renew its entire fleet, adapting it to the needs of the disabled and has introduced electric buses. The EMT buses have hybrid low consumption diesel-electric engines, which reduce the emission of gases. Fageda, accompanied by several city councillors, also opened the EMT's office open to the public in Calle Josep Anselm Clavé 5, and the new bus shelters at 300 of the 800 bus stops in the municipality. Architect Oscar Tusquets has designed the bus shelters, whose design has been adapted to the Mediterranean climate of the city. The city council is promoting the bus service as a viable alternative to using cars. It has introduced changes in some routes and is working on improving frequencies. One of the novelties is a city circle bus, the Number 2, which travels around the Avenidas, the Borne and the old part of the city.