Marga Prohens, the Partido Popular's parliamentary spokesperson, has described the plan to turn stretches of motorway central reservations into bus fast lanes as a joke. It is an initiative, she suggests, to cover up the chaos in public transport, with a reduction in the number of stops in order that the citizens can get more exercise.
"This government is making cuts to public transport and is introducing side issues like the central reservations and bus services to tourist resorts in order to disguise its ineptitude."
Criticism isn't coming only from the PP. Antoni Bauzá of the CAEB's taxi association believes that seven million euros to go on the central reservations would be better spent in other ways in order to make public transport more efficient.
However, the federation for transport companies is taking the government's side. Spokesperson Salvador Servera says that the government is responding to an historical demand and to one that was presented to all political parties prior to the last election. "In the same way that new roads are now built to incorporate bike lanes, we are asking that they also include fast lanes for buses and vehicles with high occupancy." (The plan for the fast lanes would also apply to vehicles with a minimum of three passengers.)
Environmentalists GOB have greeted the proposal positively but believe that the most important thing is to not increase the number of lanes and the capacity for private vehicles. "It is a good measure but not enough. What would make greater sense would be for the Council of Majorca to not create new infrastructure."