TIB Buses Get Automatic Stop Announcements – More Orientation for Everyone

More orientation on the bus: announcements instead of guessing

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Late morning on Plaça d’Espanya: Line 321 rolls, driver Manuel taps a small display and smiles. “You can now hear which stop is coming. For some passengers, that's a real difference,” he says. What sounds like a small thing is part of a larger refurbishment: The intercity buses of the TIB are getting new loudspeaker systems with automatic stop announcements.

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Why this matters

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Especially on routes like Palma–Inca or to the Ctra. de Sóller, when it's early and windy and people on the upper deck can hardly see, a clear voice in the bus helps. The announcements name the next stop, important interchanges, and – if necessary – notes about accessibility. More than half of the fleet already has the new loudspeakers; according to the government, all buses are to be retrofitted by the end of the year.

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“I rode yesterday with line 324,” says Carmen, who is visually impaired. “The announcement showed me when I have to get off. I feel safer.” Such feedback was also heard by technicians who have been in depots for weeks tinkering at control consoles and loudspeakers.

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Concrete improvements – and open questions

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The systems operate automatically and are linked to GPS. That means: no manual announcements anymore, fewer sources of error, constant volume. Bus drivers report that the routine has changed as a result – less frantic announcements, more focus on the road.

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It remains unclear how well the language will work at rural stops with similar names. Some older travelers also wish for a slower speech pace or additional visual cues at the stops.

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The measure costs time and money, but for many passengers it's a gain in independence. At the end of a morning on Plaça d’Espanya, one simple thought remains: when the bus speaks, the island feels a little more accessible.