Regional transport minister Marc Pons has announced that the government intends creating bus services which directly connect Palma airport with the main tourism centres on the island.
Pons says that these services are expected to start in May. They will run throughout the main season, i.e. up to October. The government is currently negotiating with bus companies regarding five routes: Alcudia/Can Picafort; Cala d'Or/Porto Petro; Cala Millor; Magalluf; Santa Ponsa. The services will run every hour or ninety minutes, and it is anticipated that more than a million passengers will use them.
"We need to be making changes in order to keep ahead." Pons pointed out that the bus routes will improve services for tourists, who at present have to rely on transfer services, taxis and hire cars.
And taxi drivers have reacted by announcing that there will be protests. The Balearic Taxi Association says the bus services will harm taxi drivers and around 2,000 families, while benefiting foreign transport companies. One of these would probably be the UK's Arriva, which is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. Autocares Mallorca is an Arriva company.