Public transport will remain free in the Balearic Islands in 2026

PalmThe Spanish Congress of Deputies definitively approved the Sustainable Mobility Law this Thursday, which includes a key amendment for the Balearic Islands: free public transport starting in 2026. The measure, which will also apply to the Canary Islands, was championed by Senator Juanjo Ferrer, representing Ibiza and Formentera, and included in the text that the Senate is sending to the Senda (a political platform). The initiative received support from the People's Party (PP), the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), and Vicenç Vidal, a deputy from Sumar-MÁS, among others. Both the PP and the eco-sovereignists and United Left celebrated the approval, which they consider "beneficial for the citizens of the Islands." Vidal emphasized that the inclusion of the amendment was made possible thanks to "tenacious diplomacy aimed at shifting the PSOE's stance towards the interests of the Balearic Islands," a strategy pursued jointly with Ferrer. "This measure is fair and necessary: we are an island territory with limited public transport, high costs, and a heavy reliance on private vehicles. Guaranteeing free public transport means mobility for everyone, especially families and young people, and it is both strategic and environmentally friendly," stated the eco-sovereignist deputy. From the People's Party, the deputy spokesperson in Congress, José Vicente Marí Bosó, emphasized his party's role in the Senate: "Without the PP's vote today, the amendment could not have been brought to Congress. Thanks to the PP, free public transport has been ratified in 2026," adding that they paid for it. For his part, the head of Institutional Policy for United Left of the Balearic Islands, Óscar Rodríguez, described the decision as "a victory for the work of the senator from Ibiza and Formentera and the progressive forces." Rodríguez has insisted that one of her party's objectives is for free public transport "to become a permanent right for the citizens of the Balearic Islands" and has called on the regional government to "improve the funding for the transfer of land transport responsibilities to the island councils, which is currently underfunded, to guarantee the sustainability of the measure and improve the service."

Congress rejects freezing Aena's fees

In the same session, Congress rejected a proposal to freeze Aena's airport fees in 2026, a PP proposal that only garnered the support of Vox. The parties in the Catalan government (PSOE and Sumar), along with Junts, ERC, Bildu, and the PNV, voted against it, while the BNG abstained. However, another amendment from the PP to reinstate compensation for 15- and 30-minute delays on Renfe trains, which was eliminated in 2024, did pass thanks to the support of Junts, ERC, Podemos, and the BNG, despite the opposition of the PSOE and Sumar. The PP also managed to introduce other amendments, such as a review of the DGT's environmental labels and a study to update the bus concession map to guarantee the current stops, frequencies, and routes of the state service to rural areas.