Playa de Palma hotels to sell bus tickets

AS of next week, the 150 hotels spanning the Bay of Palma have been given the go-ahead to sell their clients the public bus service's (EMT) “10-journey” cards, allowing travel in and around Palma at a discount of nearly 32 percent. The project was given the green light yesterday by Alvaro Gijón, Palma City Council's deputy for Traffic and Transport; and the president of Playa de Palma's Hotel Association, Jordi Cabrer. The two men explained that the aim is to introduce the Island's visitors to an easy-to-use transport system which facilitates convenient access to the city. The clipper cards, which allows for journeys on all the municipal transport buses, except the No. 1 line (airport-city-port), can be purchased from the hotel reception areas at a cost of 7.51 euros. Hoteliers will be rewarded with a commission on each sale of 0.23 euros. Gijón signalled that the “10-journey clipper card” sale campaign comes at the same time as the increase in frequency of the running of the No. 15 bus (route: Arenal-Can Pastilla-Plaza de la Reina); the No. 17 bus (route: Can Pastilla-Plaza de la Reina); and the No. 3 bus (route: Pont d'Inca-Cas Catalá), all of which provide a service along the Playa de Palma. The transport deputy highlighted the fine results that have been obtained by plain clothes National Police officers acting as watchdogs on the No. 15 service. Several pick-pockets have been arrested. Gijón said that apart from the sale of the clipper card, hotel staff are also charged with distributing maps and information on how the municipal bus service can help tourists in getting about the city. The president of the hoteliers association, who spoke favourably of the public transport facility that Palma City Council had made available to his organisation, praised the setting up of Bus line No. 23 which connects Palma city centre with Aquacity and Cala Blava in the district of Llucmajor. He wanted to promote an extension of this service to the urban housing areas of Majoris and Delta. Cabrer also favoured encouraging tourists to travel by public bus service, and called for establishing special “tourist” routes at discounted rates.