Palma´s bus service scores better than average

Joan Collins ACCORDING to a new poll, passengers on the EMT, Palma's municipal bus service, awarded the service an average of 6.57 points out of ten. The results of the poll were revealed by Alvaro Gijon, the chairman of EMT, the director, Alejandro Lacour, and the head of economic studies of GFK Emer Ad Hoc Research, Antonio Duran. The poll was taken by the company in October 2005. Questions were asked of 2'503 users of EMT and 412 non users (people who only use the bus once or twice a year). Duran said that “users were positive about the quality of the service and gave an average score of 6.57 out of 10”. He added that in polls about public transport anything above six is considered an “optimum” score. The average score from non users was a little less at 5.82. He added that in Palma there was “a low usage of public transport” of around 10 percent, similar to other medium sized Mediterranean cities as, for example, Malaga where it is 13 percent. On the other hand, in Madrid it is 34 percent and in Barcelona and Valencia it is 26 percent. Nevertheless he said that there was a 6.65 percent rise (from 2004) in the number of passengers using EMT in 2005 which was “very much above the three big capitals”. Lastly he said that only EMT in Barcelona, with an average score of 6.90 points is significantly above Palma. Gijon said that the poll results were “positive” and added that the reference point was Barcelona. Also he said that from 1999 the number of EMT users had grown by 5 or 6 percent. “But there is still room to grow”. Also he said that the poll showed that the majority of EMT users are young people, adding that the price of a normal ticket isn't the most expensive in Spain “in spite of what the recent OCU study said” and highlighting that “Palma is the only city in Spain which has a citizen's card”. A journey using this card costs 0.46 euros, compared to the normal fare of 1.10 euros. Gijon also said that at the end of this month there will be a study to find out which lines will need to change their routes once the metro is in service. He also said that the aim of EMT is that during this term of office 90 percent of the lines will run until 11pm or later, and the frequency will be less than 20 minutes. He also said that the installation of 50 more electronic information panels is planned in the EMT's bus stops. He added that the creation of a new circular line is planned for this year to join different outlying areas without the obligatory need to pass through the Avenidas. He said that the process of modernisation started during the legislature, with the renovation of the entire fleet put in place by his predecessor, Pedro Alvarez. Lastly he said that improvements to lines 15 and 17 are being studied, along with the possibility that some lines will run past the Parc de la Mar.