The Spanish multinational ALSA is positioned as the favorite to manage Ibiza’spublic transport for the next ten years. The bids of its subsidiaries, Rutas del Cantábrico S.L. and Autocares Luarca S.A.U., have obtained the best scores in the bidding process organized by the Consell de Ibiza, standing out in technical and organizational aspects. The tender, divided into two lots, aims to improve island mobility with a focus on sustainability and fleet modernization, as reported by El Periódico de Ibiza.
Lot 1: Metropolitan lines
The first lot, which covers routes connecting the city of Ibiza with key destinations such as Platja d’en Bossa, the airport and Sant Jordi, was led by Rutas del Cantábrico S.L. This ALSA subsidiary obtained a score of 78.10 points, beating the bid submitted by Pitibüses, which obtained 66.19 points. Although Pitibüses submitted a better economic proposal, the technical and value-judgment criteria were decisive in tipping the balance in favor of ALSA.
Lot 2: Rest of the island
Autocares Luarca S.A.U., also part of ALSA, stood out in the second lot, which comprises 44 routes in the rest of the island. Its proposal obtained 84.68 points, beating Empresa Ruiz and Pitibüses. This lot will include a mixed fleet of electric, hybrid and diesel buses, all with a maximum age of nine years, in line with the island’s sustainability goals, as reported by El Periódico de Ibiza.
Commitment to sustainability
One of ALSA’s strengths in this tender has been its commitment to sustainability. The company has proposed fleets made up mostly of electric and hybrid vehicles, which will contribute to reducing polluting emissions on the island. In addition, the company proposes an improvement in accessibility and comfort for users, aspects that have been key in the technical evaluation of the bids.
ALSA’s trajectory
With more than 100 years of history, ALSA is a reference in passenger transport at national and international level. Founded in Asturias in 1923, it is currently part of the British group National Express and operates in countries such as Spain, Morocco, Switzerland and France, transporting more than 400 million people a year. Its arrival in Ibiza dates back to 2016, after acquiring the local company Voramar El Gaucho.
Next steps in the process
Although ALSA is emerging as the favorite to take over the management of public transport in Ibiza, the awarded companies now have a period of four months to complete the required documentation. Once this procedure has been passed, the award will be formally approved by the Consell de Ibiza.
