The implementation of the new public road transport contract in Ibiza will suffer a significant delay and will not be operational until at least the beginning of 2026. The reason is the filing of an appeal before the Central Administrative Court of Contractual Appeals by two of the companies that had participated in the tender: Empresas Ruiz S.A. and Pitiüses.
Both companies have challenged the decision of the Executive Council of the Consell Insular, which definitively awarded the contract to the union formed by Alsa – Vormar el Gaucho, both for the metropolitan lines and for the intercity routes.
A legal process that may last until February 2026
Although the Consell de Ibiza does not yet have an official notification confirming the suspension of the proceedings, everything suggests that the procedure will be temporarily suspended. The experience of other appeals processed in recent years shows that this court usually takes about three months to issue a decision. Therefore, even if the challenge is finally rejected, the decision will not be known before February 2026.
The insular institution emphasizes, however, that the complaint filed does not question substantial aspects of the award or the technical evaluation of the bids, but focuses on procedural issues, which they interpret as a favorable indication for the future of the contract.
Alsa has already received the first electric buses
Despite the uncertainty, the contractor Alsa continues to make progress in the preparation of the service. In the last few days, the first 10 electric buses, which are part of the progressive renewal of the fleet, have arrived on the island. The specifications establish a period of 10 months from the entry into force of the contract to complete the total implementation.
The competition requires that two-thirds of the vehicles must be electric, while the rest must operate on higher efficiency fuels. The new network will also incorporate an updated technological system to validate transport passes.
This technological change will also force the replacement of all current transport cards, a process that requires a staggered implementation so as not to interfere with the daily use of the service.
244 million contract for the next 10 years
The project is divided into two distinct lots:
-
Metropolitan lot: 17 lines covering the city of Ibiza and its immediate surroundings, with a budget of 96.5 million euros.
-
Intercity lot: 44 routes connecting the rest of the island, at a cost of 148 million.
Overall, the contract amounts to 244 million euros for the next decade and provides for more frequencies, new routes and a complete modernization of the island’s public transport system.
