The Palma sea bus carries an average of 50 passengers the first days

PalmaThe Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) presented this Monday the new Palma nautical bus, a maritime transport service that has been operating since November 1st and connects the cruise terminals with the city center. The president of the organization, Javier Sanz, participated in the presentation and made the journey on board one of the vessels that cover the route to the Llotja. The service, provisionally managed by the company Palma Cruises, has so far registered an average of about 50 users, according to data provided by the shipping company.

The goal of the initiative according to the promoters is to reduce vehicle traffic on the Gabriel Roca avenue, especially during cruise ship stops, and to offer a mobility alternative by sea. Sanz highlighted that the project is now a reality after months of processing and argued that it will contribute to decongesting the Maritime Promenade. The president of the APB recalled that nearly two million cruise passengers arrive in Palma, although he avoided making forecasts about how many will use the new transport.

First phase of the nautical bus

The first phase of the nautical bus is mainly aimed at cruise ship passengers, who can travel from the maritime stations of the West Pier and the Ponent Quay to the Llotja without the need to resort to road transport. The trips last approximately between 10 and 15 minutes. Palma Cruises currently provides the on-demand service with four vessels, with the possibility of increasing their number according to needs. Passengers also have an audio guide with information about Palma and the port.

The second phase will arrive on January 15, 2027, when a regular internal line intended for residents, port workers, and other regular users is scheduled to become operational. This route will connect the Ponent quay, the Llotja, and the Local Transit terminal, also known as the "golondrines" (swallow boats) terminal, with a minimum frequency of one service per hour, which may be reinforced depending on demand.

During the high season, the regular line will operate from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will extend its hours until midnight on Fridays, Saturdays, and the eves of public holidays. The APB also plans to subsequently incorporate a maritime connection with Portitxol. As Sanz explained, the lines for residents and cruise passengers will be differentiated, and the port authority will monitor their operation during the months of highest activity.

Tickets of up to 10 euros

Regarding the fares, the single ticket between the West pier and the centre of Palma costs 10 euros, while the round trip ticket is priced at 18 euros. In the case of the Ponent pier, the single journey costs 9 euros and the round trip, 16. Children up to three years old travel for free.

To encourage the regular use of maritime transport, the APB has established two season tickets. The first allows for 20 journeys for 20 euros, valid for six months, while the second offers 100 journeys for 50 euros, with a one-year validity, which reduces the price of each trip to 50 cents, that is, one euro for a round trip.

Sanz has defended these passes as a transport alternative for port workers and citizens who travel regularly in the area. He has also insisted that the project is part of the measures to reduce congestion on the Maritime Promenade, although he acknowledges that it will not be a definitive solution to traffic problems.

When asked about the possible reluctance of the taxi sector, the president of the APB has assured that the organization acts with the objective of defending the general interest and has admitted that it is difficult to achieve the consensus of all sectors involved.

A launch following the resignation of TUI

The presentation of the nautical bus comes after an administrative process that was frustrated this summer, when the joint venture led by TUI, selected in the first public tender, resigned from continuing with the project.

The Port Authority had initially promoted the tender to award the long-term service concession. After the selection of TUI's proposal, the processing was in the public information phase when the company communicated its withdrawal last August, before the final concession had been formalized.

The decision caused displeasure for the APB, which in a statement on September 24 questioned the resignation, because the company had previously defended and ratified the technical and economic viability of its offer. According to the organization, the reasons alleged by TUI were related to difficulties in leasing vessels, the organization of resources, and the operational deployment of the service, issues that the APB considered the responsibility of the bidding company.

Faced with this situation, the Board of Directors of the Port Authority declared the previous procedure failed and, on September 30, approved the call for a new public tender to award the definitive management of the nautical bus. In parallel, it opted for a provisional solution that would allow the service to be launched without having to wait for the new tender to be resolved.

Armadores de Paguera

This temporary authorization was granted to Palma Cruises, a trademark of the company Armadores de Paguera, for an initial period of one year, renewable annually up to a maximum of three years or until the future concessionaire assumes the service.

The new tender was published in the Official State Gazette on October 22nd and provides for the awarding of a 15-year concession to operate maritime passenger transport within the port of Palma, on an exclusive basis. The deadline for submitting bids is 60 calendar days from the day following the publication of the announcement.

Among the economic conditions, the tender establishes an annual occupancy fee of 41,308.90 euros, excluding VAT, and an activity fee equivalent to 4% of the awardee's turnover. It also incorporates environmental requirements for the vessels, which must be equipped with low nitrogen oxide emission technology.

Four routes

The new project provides for four routes: the circular line between the Ponent dock, the Llotja and Local Traffic; the connection to the West breakwater for cruise passengers; the future route towards Portitxol, and a reinforcement service between Ponent and the Llotja linked to cruise ship calls.

During this Monday's presentation, Sanz explained that the APB aspires to incorporate fully electric vessels in the future. The president of the organization argued that the nautical bus must contribute to reducing vehicle use at the port and improving the connection between this infrastructure and the city.

For now, however, the initiative is in an initial phase, focused on the transport of cruise passengers and with an average of about fifty users since the start of the service. The incorporation of the regular line for residents, scheduled for January, and the final awarding of the concession will mark the next stages of the project.