The Government of the Balearic Islands, through the Majorcan Transport Consortium (CTM), and the Consell Insular de Menorca, will formalise in the coming days an agreement to share CTM's technology with the Consell with the aim of improving the digitisation and modernisation of the island's public transport system. Furthermore, CTM will be responsible for providing the equipment needed to incorporate these improvements into the bus service provided by the Consell.
The Minister of Housing, Territory and Mobility of the Government of the Balearic Islands, José Luis Mateo, and the President of the Consell de Menorca, Adolfo Vilafranca, explained this Wednesday the scope of this agreement, which will be valid for four years and which will enable improvements to be made to Menorca's transport network in terms of technology and user experience.
Mateo stressed the importance of cooperation and coordination between administrations, bearing in mind that the Consell is responsible for mobility on the island. Through this agreement, CTM will share with the Consell a cutting-edge technology in public transport management. According to the Consell, this process "is a first step in sharing technology, software, and knowledge with the Consell de Menorca to eventually achieve technological integration between the two islands".
CTM will fully undertake the adaptation of this technology in a multi-entity, multi-operator model, with an investment of €1.86 million from European funds. With regard to equipping all buses of future concessions in Menorca, this will entail an investment of €2.2 million, financed through the insularity factor of the Balearic Islands' special tax regime.
"We are taking a very important step forward for the benefit of public transport users. This collaboration will allow us to implement improvements to the service on the island for future regular public road transport concessions, projects that were definitively approved in July of this year”, explained the President of the Consell, Adolfo Vilafranca. The event was also attended by the Director General of Mobility of the Government of Mallorca, Lorena del Valle; the Island Councillor for Mobility of Menorca, Juan Manuel Delgado Díaz; the Island Director of Transport, Adah García; and the manager of the Majorcan Transport Consortium, Lluïsa Serra.
Cutting-edge technology in public transport management
The agreement establishes, on the one hand, the use of the Single Technological Platform (PTU). This is the suite of software that includes, among other things, the Operational Support System (SAE), which facilitates real-time bus location and occupancy tracking, access to historical data, and the sale or validation of transport tickets, such as bank cards and the Intermodal Card.
This software also features another intelligent system called Account-Based Ticketing (ABT), which allows users to validate their journey using various methods, such as bank cards, QR codes, transport cards like the Intermodal Card, and, in the future, mobile phones. Unlike other technologies used in this field, this system links users' journeys to a digital profile, allowing them to access their journey data.
Thanks to this agreement, CTM will share this cutting-edge technology with the Consell de Menorca, which is expected to be implemented with future public transport concessions, currently in the processing phase.
Purchase of technological equipment
In addition to sharing technology, the agreement includes CTM's purchase of onboard technological equipment, which is the hardware that will have to be installed on the Menorca bus fleet operating under future concessions. This investment will allow for the installation of ticket sales and validation systems, passenger information screens, and video surveillance cameras.