Més per Palma has registered three amendments to the new fare ordinance of the EMT to guarantee free bus services beyond temporary subsidies and to reduce the reference fare from three to two euros.
The municipal group of Més per Palma presented three amendments to the new EMT Fare Ordinance on Monday with a clear objective: to secure free bus services for regular users and to prevent Palma from having one of the most expensive urban fares in Spain. The ecosoberanista party flatly rejects the proposal by the local PP government to set the reference ticket price at three euros.
Permanently free, not temporary
The first amendment proposes that journeys made with the Tarjeta Única and other personal tickets remain free even if the extraordinary subsidies that currently fund the measure are removed. Més believes that Jaime Martínez's government is conditioning the continuity of free transport on temporary state and regional aid, which creates uncertainty among users.
To prevent free transport from becoming a matter of annual renewals, the party proposes a stable agreement between the Palma City Council, the Balearic Government, the State, and the Mallorca Transport Consortium to share the costs permanently. "We cannot play with the peace of mind of thousands of people," warned Més councillor Miquel Àngel Contreras.
"Those who use the bus every day need to know that they can continue to do so without worrying about whether temporary subsidies are renewed or not," Contreras stated.
Reference fare: two euros, not three
The second amendment aims to reduce the urban reference fare from three to two euros, which the PP has included in the ordinance. Més argues that this price would place Palma among the cities with the most expensive bus tickets in the country, something they consider "incomprehensible" while other municipalities are working to lower public transport costs.
With the two-euro fare proposed by Més, the first journey with the Tarjeta Única would cost 0.80 euros for the general profile, 0.45 for young people, and 0.30 for pensioners and other groups, should the free service cease to apply. The party defends that these figures are much more reasonable and fair for the pockets of Palma residents.
A cap on monthly spending
The third amendment introduces a limit on the monthly spending of regular users, so that once a certain number of journeys is reached, the rest of the month would be free. Més has not yet detailed the exact figure but assures that it aims to protect those who use the bus most frequently, such as workers and students.
"The PP is waiting for the free service to end so they can hike public transport prices the next day," Contreras criticized. With these amendments, Més aims for free transport to stop being a temporary measure and become a consolidated right for Palma residents. The ordinance will be debated in the municipal plenary in the coming weeks, and the party hopes to gain support from other groups to overturn the increase to three euros.
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