The Consell de Ibiza is already working so that, from September 1st until December 31st, travel by bus will be free for holders of the T-General and T-Silver cards. This was announced yesterday by the president of the maximum insular institution, Vicent Marí during his speech for the 8 d’Agost, which he offered after 12.30pm in the Cathedral Square. As he explained after his speech, this announcement means that the Consell de Ibiza will pay with its own funds 50% of the public bus transport season tickets on the island, complementing the 50% bonus that the central government will provide. “The Government of Spain covers 50% on the condition that the Consell contributes 20% to reach a bonus of 70% for bus transport, but we believe that this is still discriminatory for Ibizans compared to other islands where the train and metro will be free. Here the only public transport we have is the bus and it is logical that it is also free, so we will contribute 50%,” he explained. However, the president of the Consell Ibicenco demanded that “the economic effort” made by the island institution “is compensated as in other territories”.
This was not the only announcement made yesterday by Marí. He also assured that from this coming academic year the cost of tuition and the monthly fee for day care service will be reduced to zero from 9am to 1pm in the nursery schools of Cas Serres (Vila), Es Fameliar (Santa Eulària) and Ses Païsses (Sant Antoni), dependent on the Consell. The free education of these public centers from zero to three years of age, which serve 175 students, was one of the electoral commitments of the PP and Marí reminded the attendees at the end of the institutional event.
One million euros for free buses and day care
The Consell de Ibiza will invest around “one million euros” in the subsidy of public bus transport and in providing free day care services, according to calculations made yesterday by Marí himself.
The president of the maximum insular institution, also mentioned the measure adopted by the Govern on the provision from September of the last course of education from 0 to 3 years, that is, from 2 to 3 years, both in public and private nurseries that make up the complementary network. Marí urged the Autonomous Executive, “which is competent in educational matters”, to extend this free education to all courses from zero to three years.
The president also addressed the Government to demand that it “give the final impetus to the legislative changes proposed from the island for more than two years to allow the closure of tourist apartments, favoring that these homes return to the residential rental market”.
Fight against intrusion
Tourism occupied a prominent place in the parliament of Marí. “We are aware of the fragility and limitation of our territory and we must establish measures that guarantee a sustainable growth of our economy, making possible the peaceful coexistence between residents and visitors,” he said. “We want tourism that respects the environment and the people, that recognizes and values the rich history, culture and heritage of Ibiza,” he stressed before making mention of those people who come to the island to “abuse and take advantage of it and the Ibicencos” by carrying out illegal activities.
In this sense, he emphasized “the fight against intrusion, in all its forms”, which, he insisted, “must remain one of the basic pillars of the work of the Consell”, acting “forcefully” and in a “coordinated and loyal way with the rest of the institutions of the islands”.
“Only by working together will we succeed in attacking the root of some illegal activities that have nothing to do with tourists” and that “generate problems of order and saturation and that make it impossible for many workers to have access to decent housing,” he said.
Vicent Marí also spoke of the Consell’s commitment to continue working on proposals such as “the regulation of access by type of vehicle to the island”, always seeking “dialogue and consensus”.
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