The nautical bus will start in November after the resignation of TUI

PalmaThe nautical bus in the Bay of Palma will begin operating on November 1st, after the project was left up in the air due to the withdrawal of the joint venture led by TUI, which had won the tender last March. The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has now opted for a provisional solution to launch the service while it prepares a new tender that will have to guarantee its long-term continuity.

The APB has provisionally entrusted the management to Palma Cruises, whose vessels will cover four stops within the port of Palma. The service will begin in a staggered manner: lines 2 and 3, intended mainly for the transport of cruise passengers, will begin operating on November 1st, while line 1, conceived as a regular service within the bay, will do so on January 15, 2027.

The provisional authorization will have a duration of one year and may be extended annually for a maximum of three years or until the future concessionaire definitively assumes the service.

A new maritime transport for Palma

The project aims to connect the main maritime zones linked to cruise traffic with the center of Palma. Specifically, the nautical bus will primarily link the maritime stations of the West Breakwater and the Ponent pier with the Llotja pier.

The proposal also incorporates a new connection between Palma and Portitxol, a line that until now was not part of the planned service. Although a significant portion of the users will be cruise passengers, the APB maintains that the nautical bus must also function as a transport alternative for residents and regular users of the city.

To encourage this use, the single ticket will cost 10 euros per trip and 18 euros round trip. Residents will be able to have vouchers with lower prices. The 100-trip voucher will cost 50 euros and will allow for one hundred trips, while the 20-trip voucher will have a price of 20 euros for 20 trips.

Line 1 will connect the Ponent pier, the Llotja, and Local Transit. During the high season, it will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Fridays, Saturdays, and holiday eves, it will extend its hours until midnight.

A new tender after TUI's withdrawal

In parallel to the provisional launch, the board of directors of the APB has approved the specifications for a new public tender, with a maximum duration of 15 years. The procedure is being launched after the previous tender was declared void following the formal resignation, last August, of the joint venture led by TUI, which had been awarded the service.

The new contract must guarantee the long-term continuity of the water bus and will also include the requirement that the vessels use low NOx emission technologies.

The APB maintains that the service must contribute to reducing the pressure of road traffic, especially during large cruise ship calls, when the arrival and departure of thousands of passengers is concentrated in a short period of time.