Free bus service set up to cover metro route

PALMA
THE Balearic Government, in collaboration with Palma council, will start a new bus service tomorrow, to substitute for the closing of the metro.
Details of the new scheme were announced by the director general of the Balearic Government's Mobility Department, Antoni Verger, the director general of Palma council's Mobility department, Francesc Donate, and the head of the Majorca Transport Council, Inmaculada Salamanca. The objective is to relieve the transport crisis caused by the closure of the metro.

Verger explained that with this service new buses would be put on which will cover the same route as the metro, Plaza Intermodal, Jacint Verdaguer, Poligono de Son Castello and Cami dels Reis.

The Ministry of Mobility will also put in place, via the Transport Council, a service from the transport hub in Plaza España to the Cami dels Reis, using a concessionary company.

For their part EMT (Palma's bus service), bearing in mind that the University courses are about to start, will put on more buses on line 19 (to and from the University) and line 12 (Son Sardina to the Poligon de Levante), with a frequency of five minutes, starting tomorrow. “The vehicles which will operate from the Plaza España to the Cami dels Reis will continue to be free”, he said.
Also from tomorrow, EMT's four buses which will not be operating this service, will be diverted to form part of the vehicle fleet on the line 19 route. “There will be a total of 12 buses, the majority of them ‘bendy' buses, which will possibly be joined by two more during the peak hours, and some 1'540 places available for University workers, students and teachers. These will be increased or reduced according to the demand at certain times of day”, commented Donate.

There will also be an extended service at peak hours on line 12 (the Son Sardina route) and there will be a link at the crossroads between the Valldemossa road and San Vicente de Paul so that the residents of the area can get to the University.

For his part, Salamanca said that the bus service in Son Castello will be the same as it is now, thanks to the fact that Palma council had made a special lane for busses via special traffic lights. “The frequency will be between 15 and 20 minutes and the timetable will run from 6.15am to 9.30pm”, he added. “The buses will be the colour of the Balearic Transport Company (TIB) and have signs on them so that the passengers can identify them” explained Salamanca.

Plans to set up a bus service on the University campus, linking the various faculties, have been put on hold until the metro is re-opened.