Today, Plaza de España in Palma was the setting for the eleventh edition of the Awards for Loyalty to Public Transport. These awards, co-organised by the Ministry of Housing, Territory and Mobility of the Government of the Balearic Islands, and Palma City Council, are in recognition of the most loyal users of public transport.
During the event, awards were presented to around fifteen people who have stood out for their commitment to and intensive use of the public transport services, including the urban and interurban bus services of TIB and EMT Palma, metro and train transport in Mallorca, and the BiciPalma bicycles. All these people, aged between 14 and 79, are role models for their commitment to sustainable mobility. The prizes were a sports watch, an e-book and a folding bicycle, depending on the category and age of the winners.
This award ceremony is one of the highlights of the European Mobility Week, in which 1338 cities and towns from 37 countries across Europe are participating this year under the slogan "Mobility for Everyone". Its aim is to advocate for available, accessible, affordable, safe and sustainable public transport for everyone, irrespective of users' context, income, location or individual mobility difficulties.
EMT Palma awarded prizes to those who made the most journeys during the year in the categories of residents, under 17s, students and pensioners.
In the intermodality category, a prize was awarded to the person who made the most trips combining the interurban and urban public transport networks (TIB and EMT Palma).
The Mallorca Transport Consortium (CTM) awarded prizes to users in the categories of children, young people, general and pensioners.
In addition, the BiciPalma service recognised its most loyal users, highlighting both those who have cycled the most kilometres on a mechanical bicycle and those with the highest number of journeys made in general.
The Director General for Mobility of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Lorena del Valle; the Deputy Mayor for Mobility of Palma City Council, Antonio Deudero; the Director General for Mobility of the City Council, Antonio Román; the manager of the Mallorca Transport Consortium, Luisa Serra; the manager of the EMT, Juan José Elías and the manager of SMAP, Lydia Pérez, presented the awards.
The event was accompanied by music from the Son Rapinya band, conducted by Juan Buceta.