According to the Balearic minister of mobility, José Luis Mateo, the regional government has assumed 80% of the total cost of the free travel scheme in the Balearics in 2024. The total is put at 54.3 million euros, and the minister says that contributions from the Spanish Government amount to just 14.6 million. (This means the percentage is lower than the one given by the minister.)
The regional government is guaranteeing free travel but is demanding that Madrid comes up with the full financing. The minister adds that the allocations for both 2023 and 2024 have been insufficient.
When the Spanish Government announced free public transport two years ago, it set a sum of 43 million euros per annum for the Balearics, an amount that was considered to be insufficient in 2023 and more so in 2024.
On December 19, Mateo wrote to the minister of transport, Óscar Puente, demanding an increase in state funding for public transport.
It may be that the Balearic Government has only received what amounts to a third of the set allocation for 2024, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it won't receive the full amount. However, the lateness of the payment has been and continues to be an issue, one that Palma Town Hall has made clear. The funding for EMT buses comes from what is paid to the government.
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I give up.
ChrisThe point of it is to reduce traffic, not give free travel to needy people. But it serves that as well.
Free transport is an amazing initiative for those that really need it. However, I've never understood why free transport is applied to ALL residents. This is simply a waste of taxpayers money, why give a free present to somebody who has a high income and lots of assets?? It seems like the administration is being lazy in the application of this scheme. The government has everybody's income and wealth data - so why can't they "means test" for the free travel?? As a taxpayer I'd gladly pay for the travel of low income people and families, these are the people who really need it - but I do not want to pay for everybody!
BeachcomberAre you of the same opinion about “free” education ? Is it fair that childless couples or those who have only one should pay the same amount, and sometimes more tax than those with large families ?
Zoltan TeglasIt would though be worth remembering that the underground bus and train station and most, if not all of the island’s motorways were built whilst the capitalist PP party was in power.
BeachcomberLet's compare the 'socialist' public transport in Spain to the 'capitalist' public transport in the UK and USA. There's one clear winner and it's not the one you're in favour of.
Absolutely bonkers the idea of so called “free” travel as it has to be paid for by someone, normally the hard pressed taxpayers. Majorca needs to invest in more buses and more drivers and this cannot be done in the socialist way of making services “free”. The train network needs to be increased as well and this needs to be paid for and be profitable. Unless Majorca gets out of the socialist spiral the transport infrastructure will continue to fail.