The Transports de les Illes Balears (TIB) intercity bus network is being reinforced for the summer season on Friday 22nd March with a wider range of services, which means improvements on a total of 24 lines with increased frequencies and extended timetables, while 11 other high season service lines, such as the four lines to the airport, will be resumed, and a new bus line in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range will also be launched.

The TIB bus

This year, due to the commitment to improve public transport services and the aim of accompanying the Government of the Balearic Islands’ drive to promote the island’s deseasonalisation of tourism, the reinforcement is brought forward to 22 March, coinciding with the opening of a large number of tourist establishments, thus extending the regular transport offer for the high season, bearing in mind that for 2023 it began on 1 April, the previous year on 8 April and in previous years it did not begin until the beginning of May.

This reinforcement for the high season months is a continuation of the improvements made by the Government to the TIB network bus timetables last winter, when the service was improved on a total of 27 lines compared to the previous winter season. During this period, between November and February, the number of bus journeys on the TIB network increased by 61.37% compared to the same period last season. This is a higher increase than the average increase in the bus service for the whole of 2023 (55.6% compared to 2022).

The councillor for Housing, Territory and Mobility, Marta Vidal, accompanied by the director general of Mobility, Lorena del Valle, informed this Monday of the new features of the summer service of the TIB network for 2024 and stated that this new reinforcement reaffirms the commitment of the Government of the Balearic Islands to improving public transport services and promoting their use. At the press conference, the improvements made to the service were detailed, including the creation of a new bus line to the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range that will connect several municipalities.

In the Serra de Tramuntana, this new TIB bus line (L131) will start operating on 22nd March between Santa Ponça and La Granja de Esporles, running through Peguera, Camp de Mar, Andratx, Estellencs and Banyalbufar. In this way, it will now be possible to travel the entire Serra from north to south by public transport, linking lines 231 (between Port de Pollença and Sóller), 203 (between Sóller and S’Esgleieta), 202 (between S’Esgleieta- Canet and Estellencs) and 131 (between Estellencs and Andratx). On the other hand, La Granja de Esporles is a good starting or finishing point for the Es Camí des Correu excursion, traditionally done by bus on the outward journey and on foot on the return (or vice versa). To complete the service to the Serra de Tramuntana, on 22nd March the TIB line 231 Alcúdia – Port de Sóller will also start running.

In the Ponent area, Palma Nova and Magaluf (line 104) will continue to be the areas with the greatest need for transport services, with an average service every 12-15 minutes in each direction. With respect to 2023, the last service of the day will be reinforced, going from a frequency of 30 minutes and with the last departures at 0.30 a.m. from each terminus, to a frequency of 25-30 minutes with last departures at 1.00 a.m.; all this to improve the service provided to the workers in this area.

Moving on to a different geographical area, in the north of Mallorca various improvements have been approved for the summer of 2023. For example, on the one hand, suburban line 324, Alcúdia – Can Picafort, like line 104, will also reinforce the offer for the last hour of the day, reaching beyond 00.00 h with a stable frequency of 12-13 minutes; and, on the other hand, line 321, which serves the centre of Cala Sant Vicenç, will move the daily start of activity to 7.10 h, to adapt to early morning labour mobility.

In the corridor between Alcúdia and Can Picafort, the most important structural change consists of the separation of traffic: on the one hand, towards Muro and the south of Sa Pobla, which will be served by line 315 with a wide timetable (6.05 am to 0.20 am); and, on the other, towards the north of Sa Pobla, Inca and Palma, which will be served by line 302. The latter line will offer significant improvements compared to 2023, such as a frequency of 20 minutes each way during peak hours (higher than ever on a service from the bay of Alcúdia to Inca and Palma), or an extension of the offer until 0.30 am at night, aimed at hotel and restaurant workers returning home.

The airport line of this northern corridor, A32, increases the level of supply by 10% compared to 2023; but the most noteworthy aspect is that the increase is concentrated between 4.00 am and 7.30 am, where 5 departures were provided from Can Picafort in 2023 (one every 50 minutes), while in 2024 there will be 7 departures (one every 35 minutes).

On the Llevant coast, on 22 March the lines serving Cala Mesquida (L422), Font de sa Cala (L423) and Cala Mendia (L427) will start operating. Lines 424, which will cover the Cala Rajada-Porto Cristo corridor, will also start operating, with one service in each direction every 45 minutes, and 325, between Cala Rajada and Alcúdia, with hourly frequency.

A 50% increase in service on line 416 (Cales de Mallorca), which last year was not reinforced until well into the summer, on 19 June, has also been brought forward to 22 March.

Compared to last summer, the A42 airport line (which covers the corridor between Cala Bona and Porto Cristo) has increased its service volume by more than 10%; but, as with the A32 line, the most relevant aspect is that the increase is concentrated between 3.30 am and 7.00 am, where in 2023 there were 5 departures from Cala Bona (one every 50 minutes), whereas in 2024 there will be 6 departures (one every 35-45 minutes).

In the Migjorn region, the Campos-Palma express services of line 501 are extended to all day, to support the increased activity of the launching lines 515 (Cala d’Or) and 517 (Colònia de Sant Jordi), which will also increase their level of supply from 22 March. Also as of this date, the current demand services from Sa Ràpita (to Campos) and Cala Pi will become regular lines, with a higher volume of supply.