51.1% of hotel workers in Calvià already use public transport to get to work, according to the first Sustainable Work Mobility Pilot Plan presented this Monday. The Government has reinforced the 104 Magaluf-Palma line with three additional buses.
Calvià has launched a pioneering plan in the Balearic Islands to ease the commuting of employees in the tourism sector. The initiative, a result of collaboration between the Balearic Government, the Town Hall, and hotel associations, starts with a compelling fact: 51.1% of surveyed workers already use public transport to reach their jobs, and 43.6% travel daily by bus.
The survey, conducted among 376 employees from 24 hotels in the municipality, has helped adjust the TIB service to actual needs. As a first measure, the regional government has reinforced the 104 Magaluf-Palma line with three additional buses: two started in June and the third at the beginning of July. The result is that the intervals have been reduced to between 10 and 15 minutes for much of the day.
A reinforcement that is already noticeable in the figures
The initial data from the plan shows a significant increase in activity. The trips on the 104 line have grown by 17.2% compared to May, and the number of passengers has increased by 8.7%, which translates to 23,000 more travellers and a total exceeding 285,000 users. Moreover, the need for occasional reinforcements has been reduced by approximately half, according to the Government.
This reinforcement is in addition to the incorporation, last March, of two 18-metre articulated buses for this connection, as well as the implementation of fast charging pantographs for electric buses on the 123 Santa Ponça-Cas Català line. For the residents of Calvià, this means less waiting and greater reliability in journeys to Palma, a relief in an area where congestion is common during peak season.
More than transport: savings and work-life balance
The plan aims not only to reduce road congestion and energy consumption. It also seeks to improve work-life balance and reduce the economic cost that commuting imposes on workers. The Government frames it within the Social Pact for Sustainability, with a commitment to stable collaboration between administrations, businesses, and employees.
Some hotels have already begun to implement internal measures: car-sharing programs, parking facilities for those who share vehicles, spaces for bicycles and electric scooters with charging points, and training in efficient driving. Schedules have also been adjusted to sync with public transport connections, and in some cases, continuous working hours have been implemented in certain departments. Remote work, although occasional, is also used at certain times of the year to avoid unnecessary commutes.
Some establishments have gone further and offer financial assistance to employees who share cars or shuttle bus services from points like Juaneda Miramar, Ocimax, or Plaza de España, for those workers whose schedules do not have a viable public transport alternative. A measure that, from the worker's perspective, provides relief during the September crunch.
Calvià as a laboratory for the rest of the Balearic Islands
The Government is already studying the extension of the model to other municipalities in the archipelago, using Calvià's experience, the main tourist destination in the Balearic Islands, as a reference. The aim is to design new work mobility policies in areas where transporting workers places greater pressure on the road network. So far, the results are encouraging: more buses, fewer traffic jams, and a happier wallet.
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