The Balearic Federation of Transport Businesses is critical of the fact that four of the five bus routes from the airport to tourist resorts that will start in May are controlled by businesses from outside Majorca.
The one which isn't is the Cala Millor route. The other four - Alcudia/Can Picafort, Cala d'Or/Porto Petro, Magalluf and Santa Ponsa - are under Transabus, a Madrid company, or Arriva, a UK company ultimately owned by Germany's Deutsche Bahn.
The federation says that there are at present eighteen bus service concessions, transporting almost 8.9 million passengers per year. With the exception of the three companies that will benefit from the new routes, none of the others were aware of the government's intention to introduce the routes
It adds that there is likely to also be a financial consequence for the government, which at present subidises regular bus services in Majorca to the tune of 4.5 million euros. It assumes that there will be subsidies for the new routes, but notes that transport minister Marc Pons was unable to clarify whether there would be during this week's meeting of the Balearic Transport Council.
A further observation is that the six-month operation of the new services is at variance with government thinking regarding tackling seasonality.
Other than regular bus services, operators in the federation are responsible for the movement of some 14 million passengers to and from the airport per year.
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Maybe this will also shake up the holiday companys into taking people to the resort straight away, rather than going to Alcudia, before Can Picafort, and vice versa. Even had to go from Can Picafort to Pollensa one year :-(
So what? Lots of British airport operations are Spanish owned and so is my bank.
Yes, and let's have less of one not being allowed to take someone to the airport in your car. That's Mafia in your face, it's got to be allowed now.
I think TIBS and EMT have colluded and been complacent for decades. The controlling bodies for the Bus services have allowed them to stagnate. At last, Buses to go direct to resorts. Not " Hoppa " Buses going all around the nearby resorts, with long delays on arrival, to even longer delays to the Hotels. The Taxi Drivers will also need to lokk to their laurels at the Airport. Taxis in resorts, need to be readily available, at the designated Bus stops from the TRANSABUSES.