Danger of a rift between Palma and Madrid over travel discount

31/01/2013 00:00

Palma.The spokesperson for the Partido Popular in the Balearics, Miguel Ramis, said yesterday that all the MPs in the region have joined forces to try and convince Madrid that the 50 percent resident travel discounts is not negotiable, suggesting that the Balearic government's attempts to defends the rights of the Balearic population are failing to have the desired affect. The day that defending the welfare of the Balearics does not coincide with the rest of the Partido Popular voters in Spain, we're going to have a problem, Ramis warned. So far, we have always voted in the defense of the Balearics because it coincided with what the Partido Popular wanted, but replacing the 50 percent discount with fixed tariffs is not in the interests of the Balearics and we intend to fight it, he added.

The President of the Balearics, Jose Ramon Bauza, has also declared that the discount is non negotiable and with Bauza leading a Balearic delegation to the Fitur tourism trade fair in Madrid today, the travel discount will surely pop up on the agenda when he meets fellow government members. Our immediate aim is to convince all of out colleagues that the travel discounts are untouchable. If there are going to be any changes, they will not be for a while, but that does not change our stance. As far as we are concerned the discount on domestic flights and maritime travel is 50 percent and will always be 50 percent, Ramis said.
He also went as far as stressing that the Balearic PP is more than prepared to seek cross party support from the opposition in order to pile as much pressure on central government as possible.