The Palma Verde Collective is insisting that the Government introduce a shuttle bus service from Palma to Parc Bit and Son Espases Hospital instead of extending the metro lines.
"To further reduce the cost of carrying out our proposal, the metro-bus lines could be covered by using EMT vehicles because the company has just bought a hundred new buses," said Palma Verde Collective Spokesperson, José Javier Mascarell.
The shuttle bus proposal was first presented last year, before Mobility Minister Marc Pons announced that the Government doesn’t have enough money to pay for rail projects and is relying on obtaining European funds.
The EU cash will be used to extend the UIB metro and build two tram lines; one from Plaça d’Espanya to Son Espases Hospital and one from central Palma to the Airport and on to s’Arenal.
"The Palma metro has been a failure since its inauguration in 2007 and it doesn’t make sense to extend a metro line that’s still not working, or to allocate millions of euros to a 1.4 kilometre extension to Parc Bit in the midst of a financial crisis when only about 3,000 people work there,” said Mascarell.
The Palma Verde Collective refutes Mobility & Transport Minister Jaume Mateu’s argument that its proposals arrived too late.
“The Executive has time to rectify this situation because they are still waiting for money from Europe,” insists Mascarell. “Cort should look after the interests of the people of Palma by launching the shuttle metro-bus lines as soon as possible because it would be the most immediate and economical formula for metro users."
The Palma Verde Collective is launching a campaign under the slogan ‘Mobilitat amb seny’ or 'Mobility with Common Sense' and says residents who would rather have a shuttle bus service should sign the petition at mobilitatambseny.wordpress.com "because in times of crisis, efficient, economic solutions are needed.”