The outgoing government and the outgoing mayor, José Hila, have presented the tram as a solution to Palma's mobility problems. Martínez has said that he is not against there being a tram service but has argued that it should not be in the way that the project has been designed "and not now".
In his view, the project was always one with an eye on the elections and lacked the necessary studies and reports to guarantee its viability. He would prefer investment to be in buses and an electrification of the entire fleet. The Spanish government recently approved an initial spend of 185 million euros for the tram. Martínez and the PP will be demanding that the promised investment is made but in improving the bus service instead.
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Peter PerfectOh, I saw it coming. All the loudmouthed nonsensical pie in the sky spewed by podemos and Més was sure to hand victory over to the PP. However, it's actually a very slim "victory" at best, and they aren't exactly off to a sensible start. It's not an autocracy. they can't just wave a sceptre and proclaim whatever they want. There's others that have a say in it. And frankly, in your euphoria, it's probably not wise to engage in the same made up nonsense that led the last government to defeat. Simply throwing out the good stuff with the bad - out of sheer spite - is not exactly a cause for optimism. We shall see.
But are he and Marga Prohens going to do something about the taxis? The situation is dire, especially for those of us with mobility issues who depend on taxis to get from A to B.
Well no one saw that coming did they or the 4 day week, the tram, the idea of less tourists and no building of new housing for those in need, bye bye PSOE hello PP, all systems go.
The tram was never a well thought through plan. It was expensive, highly disruptive, and would render only minor improvement in public transport, which could easily be achieved with enhanced bus service. But the airport definitely needs express train service. I'd suggest building a train station under the arrivals hall, and put in tracks linking to the existing lines at or near Es Pont de Inca, facilitating regular service from the airport to both Plaça d'Espanya AND Inca -> Manacor/Sa Pobla. In the future, extending Sa Pobla to Alcudia, and Manacor to Son Servera, Arta, Cala Ratjada (which largely, already exist) ... This way, we'd have express links from the airport to much of the island, near zero disruption in the city, it leverages existing lines, and facilitates infrastructure for future extension, and costs would likely be equal or less, since it would be largely built on undeveloped land, which will likely be far more developed in the next 10-20 years, so it's wise to lay the lines now, before it becomes too difficult and prohibitively expensive.
So Palma will become saturated in Bus Traffic. Whereas the Trams would alleviate the majority of Tourist Traffic to and from the Airport.