There is a shortage of buses. | MDB

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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.

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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.