While Palma Town Hall has yet to decide whether or not to accept the Spanish Government's subsidy for free EMT buses in 2025, drivers' unions are pleading for services not to be free.
The unions have no objection to free travel, but as a spokesperson for the USO union points out, this has to be matched with adequate resources, "which is currently not the case". The SITEIB union insists that drivers cannot experience another summer like this year's.
The UGT wants the public to use buses responsibly, noting that some passengers have been travelling only a couple of stops. In general, the unions say that EMT simply doesn't have the capacity to deal with the demand that free travel has created.
The main issue is a lack of buses. The town hall has announced the purchase of new electric buses, but the time from tender to delivery is a minimum nine months; it can be up to 18 months. For the summer, when demand is at its greatest, it is unlikely that there will be more buses.
Hiring buses is an option but is one that was tried in the past and was a failure. Unions add that the situation with a shortage of buses would be improved if didn't take so long to repair ones that break down.
There is at least progress on the recruitment front. Twenty-four new drivers started on Monday, and more will be taken on next year.
7 comments
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This free bus scheme has always puzzled me. Why is it free for everybody? Especially if that has caused overloading of the existing capacity. It seems like lazy government to just give this charity to everybody, whether they need it or not. Surely it should be "means tested" whereby only those families with a low income and perhaps all people over 70's travel for free. The government have plenty of info on everybody's income, so it wouldn't be hard to define a level, below which qualifies the family for free travel.
Buses are for poor people. Soooo not interested.
Buses have been often full - too full - for a while now. And my kids too often find these lovely bus driver’s despicably inconsiderate by simply refusing to stop a certain stops. Or when they are behind schedule. Not experienced that anywhere else. Zero sympathy for these people. And making passengers pay makes them “feel appreciated”? Rubbish.
Again. A Classic case of our politicians : "right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing".
No , They would never ask the people who actually really have to provide the service why would you do that they actually have real info which could be very valuable twoard´s real solutions The poloitician´s like to keep the FOG Around as long as they can .
Quite agree with bus drivers as services should not be free of charge as everything has a cost. Making the bus service free of charge devalues the service and the effort made by the bus drivers. Majorca residents are not so poor they can afford to pay for their buses.
People getting on for just a couple of stops. Oh no! How terrible! It's almost as if it encourages bus use! Buses being popular and needing more of them! Make it stop! What a disaster! Having public transport free at point of use has been amazing. It's what public services should be. Cities and governments worldwide try to encourage public transport and discourage car use for short trips, both for environmental, logistical and resource use. 50 people on 1 bus, Vs 30 cars. Buses and trains are the answer but getting people to use them is the problem. They are often slightly less convenient both in terms of timing and locations. But if they are free it hugely encourages it. And what's more, it's there for everyone who lives here but particularly for those who need it most, local workers. Keep it up! This is what public services should look like!