📋 Tender Overview
The Minister for Transport Mobility and the Urban Agenda Raquel Snchez today signed a protocol with the President of the Balearic Islands Francina Armengol to build a tram line between the center of Palma and Sont San Joan Airport. Mitma thus undertakes to finance 100 of Section I of the new Tramway in the Bay of Palma from next year within the framework of the Governments strategy to promote the decarbonisation of mobility and transport infrastructures due to their weight in the energy transition. In this sense the action already has an endowment of 20 million euros in the 2023 General State Budget project.Five months ago I made a commitment to President Armengol that the Government of Spain would finance the first section of the Palma tram and today we signed the protocol to formalize that commitment. This is magnificent news because the tram represents a key infrastructure in the Sectoral Mobility Master Plan of the Balearic Islands whose objective is to transform urban mobility and public transport in this city the minister assured after signing the agreement.The tramwaySection I of the new tram will connect the center of Palma from the Plaza de Espaa with the Airport through the coast in a 10.8-kilometre route. According to project estimates the public transport corridor could meet a demand of 27 of public transport with 5.3 million passengers at the beginning of its operation and grow to 6.5 million in ten years.At this point it should be noted that with the entry into operation of this line it is expected that the modal share of public transport will reach 60 including bus taxi and tram among passengers who regularly travel between the center of the city and the airport which in 2019 moved almost 30 million passengers. An infrastructure in which actions are being carried out to improve its operations and sustainability.The construction of this first section will allow the railway connection with the Son Espases Hospital which has 824 beds and 5000 workers and which is attended by an average of 15000 people every day. Not in vain the action is part of a more ambitious project that includes the construction in three phases the maintenance and the operation of a tram line from the hospital of Son Espases to sArenal de Llucmajor passing through Can Pastilla and the airport of Palm. The Balearic government will be responsible for developing the project in its entirety including exploitation through the implementation of various services depending on the demand and needs of each of the areas. The tramway will contribute to boosting one of the islands economic engines such as the Sont San Joan airport It will fulfill an important social function by improving and facilitating access to an essential service for citizens such as health care and it will be of great value as a vehicle for connectivity in the city by having a stop 300 meters from the Palacio de Congresos explained the minister during her speech. And it is that this new infrastructure will help to meet the Ministrys objectives of promoting the use of public transport improving mobility in cities minimizing energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.We understand mobility as a citizens right and to preserve it we have designed an entire strategy based on the principles of respect for the environment energy efficiency and the fight against climate change. To which we add digitization as an essential tool to connect infrastructures with services and citizens. These principles are the basis of our Mobility Safe and Connected Strategy and constitute the framework of the Law on Sustainable Mobility explained the minister after pointing out that the Balearic Islands plan fits into the objectives of the Ministry.Bet on the Balearic IslandsRaquel Snchez has taken advantage of her visit to Palma to confirm that the commitment of the Government of Spain and Mitma to the development of transport infrastructure in the archipelago is absolute.Thus in the last four years close to 2000 million euros have been invested in the territory a third more than what was done by previous administrations. And we will continue to do so in 2023 the year in which we plan to increase total investment spending to reach 500 million euros highlighted the minister. In this investment the funds from the Recovery Transformation and Resilience Plan stand out of which more than 200 million have already been allocated to the Balearic Islands including more than 18 million corresponding to the Program for the sustainable and digital rehabilitation of public buildings which will allow the a total of 22 buildings such as for example the Menorca Maritime Station the Terminus Hospital in Palma or the University and the Joan March Hospital in Bunyola which will see their air conditioning systems completely renovated.Also in terms of housing Sepes is going to acquire a 2579 m2 plot owned by the Ministry of Defense in Mahn where 44 affordable rental homes will be built. This operation is in addition to those already underway by the Ministry in Son Busquets and Can Escandell which demonstrates the willingness to contribute to alleviating the problem of access to housing in the most stressed areas of the Balearic Islands.Finally I would like to recall two other significant transfers. In the first place the Mitma discounts for freight transport companies. This is aid that may be added to the aid derived from the de minimis regulations within the new established maximums under the Temporary Framework of aid for the invasion of Ukraine.
