Spain's Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility will extend the subsidy to the Balearics for the whole of 2025 so that it can make public transport in the islands free of charge for users of train and bus services. On Thursday, the information indicated that it would only be for the first six months of the year, but on Friday the Spanish Government announced that it will finally be for the whole year 2025.
The government maintains the aid that has been earmarked for the Balearics since 2023 in recognition of its insularity. The measure is expected to be approved at a cabinet meeting on Monday. The central government delegate in the Balearics, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, stated that this is “another example of the important effort, the greatest in history, that this government is making during the current period of office to support public transport”.
According to the ministry, state investment in aid to this area has quadrupled since 2018.
The subsidy for free public transport approved in 2023 aimed to encourage the use of public transport in citizen mobility, in a context of high energy and fuel prices. In the specific case of the Balearics, the government has earmarked 43 million euros a year to help ensure that intercity bus and train users on the islands can benefit from free public transport services, which are the responsibility of the autonomous region.
At present, there is no confirmation that EMT buses in Palma will be free in 2025, the town hall having previously announced that they would not be. The latest is that Mayor Jaime Martínez wants to wait to read the 'small print' of the cabinet's approval.