The TIB bus network closes in 2024 with 20% more users, up to a total of 28.3 million journeys.

The modification of the concessions, with an increase of about 150 million budget, allows the incorporation of 27 buses.

All lines from various municipalities to the airport are maintained in the low season and will operate all year round.

The Government of the Balearic Islands has made improvements to the TIB intercity bus service by modifying the three bus concessions in Mallorca to adapt the service to the demand and the increase in users in recent years – 20% more in 2024 – with an increase in the bus fleet – a total of 27 more buses – and the current routes and with the offer of all Aerotib lines from various municipalities to the airport throughout the year, including the low season.

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The government improves the TIB intercity bus service to adapt to the increase in users, with more buses, more routes and Aerotib lines all year round

This improvement of the concessions, which began last year with the signing of the first contract (Ponent zone lot) and which has already allowed the A11 line from the area of Calvià and Peguera to the airport to be put into operation since 20 December, is completed this week with the formalisation of the last two contracts (Raiguer-Nord and Llevant-Migjorn zone lots). Thus, the Aerotib A32, A41 and A52 lines will be activated in the coming weeks, connecting towns such as Inca, Alcúdia and Can Picafort, Manacor and Cala Bona, and Campos, with Son Sant Joan airport.

The councillor for Housing, Territory and Mobility, José Luis Mateo, together with the director general of Mobility, Lorena del Valle, and the manager of the Transport Consortium of Mallorca, Lluïsa Serra, today presented the balance of users of intercity public transport (bus, train and metro of Mallorca) for the year 2024 and the new improvements to the TIB intercity bus network, once the process of modifying the bus concessions of the TIB network, promoted by the Government this term of office, has been completed.

Increase in bus, train and metro users: up to 39 million by 2024

Overall, the use of public transport continues the growth trend of recent years. In 2024, 39.3 million journeys were made on the TIB network (intercity bus, train and metro of Mallorca), an increase of 18% over the previous year. Of these users, 28.3 million were on the bus, 8.9 million on the train and 2.1 million on the metro. 73% of journeys are made with the Intermodal Card, a transport ticket used by residents of Mallorca which allows them to travel free of charge.

As councillor José Luis Mateo pointed out, this is a ‘very significant’ increase, bearing in mind that it not only reflects the effect of the free public transport service, given that it compares two full years with the free service in force, and is data that ‘confirms the commitment of many citizens to public transport, especially residents, who are the target of the policy of improving mobility that we are promoting from the Govern’.

The bus service recorded a 20% increase in ridership, higher than the average increase for the TIB transport network, to achieve a total of more than 28 million journeys over 2024. This is an increase of almost 5 million over the previous year, more than 13 million more than in 2022 and nearly 18 million more trips than in 2019, the year before the pandemic. To cope with this increase, the Government has opted to improve the current concessions, which began operating in January 2021.

Improving concessions to adapt to real demand

According to Minister Mateo, the modification of the concessions promoted by the Directorate General for Mobility, ‘is a key step to adapt the service to the increase in demand and, in practice, for users, it means many improvements: more buses, more frequencies, more routes and longer schedules. With Aerotib lines between many municipalities and the airport all year round and with other improvements in lines throughout Mallorca’.

Overall, the modification of the bus concessions for the period 2024-2030 will allow an increase in timetables and lines and also an expansion of the fleet with the addition of 27 buses (up to a total of 257 buses). The reinforcement of vehicles will be achieved with the incorporation of 6 buses this year and, for next year, the incorporation of 21 new buses is foreseen.

Of the six reinforcement buses being incorporated this year, two are already in operation on line 403 between Campos, Algaida and Palma, while the other four buses will enter service in June to reinforce other high-demand routes such as lines 401 Cala Millor – Palma, 411 Cala Rajada – Manacor, 501 Manacor – Campos – Palma and 504 Tolleric – Palma.

This year, one of the most important improvements is that from now on users will be able to use the airport lines all year round and not just during the summer season. Thus, the A11 line that connects the Calvià area with the airport resumed service in December, and the other three Aerotib lines will be put into operation in the coming weeks, once the process of modifying the concessions for these other areas has been formalised.

Specifically, the A32 line connecting Inca, Alcúdia and Can Picafort with the airport will begin on 15th March; the A42 line from Manacor and Cala Bona is scheduled to start on 24th March; and the A51 line from Campos on 1st April. In this way, the primary resident population centres will also maintain their bus connections with Son Sant Joan airport during the low season.

In addition, thanks to the modification of the concessions, other improvements have also been introduced. This year, starting in June, the new Cala Rajada – Manacor – Palma and Cala d’Or – Campos – Palma express lines will begin operating, offering these semi-direct routes to users in these towns, and starting next year, these lines will operate throughout the entire April – October period.

With the modification of the concessions, the Government of the Balearic Islands is reinforcing its commitment to improving public transport. The modification of the contracts means an increase in the total budget of nearly 150 million euros (from 436 to 580 million) in this period until 2030 and will allow a series of improvements to be introduced progressively.

This contract modification is essential to respond to the current increase in demand, and the service offer increases from the 16.5 million kilometres included in the contracts initiated in 2021 to the 24.6 million kilometres per year of the modification. This is a growth of nearly 50% of the service initially planned. In 2023, a service of 22.1 million kilometres was offered and last year frequencies were increased with the incorporation of 10 new buses.