I think it is time that the local authorities run up the white flag and admit that something has to be done about the roads and the congestion problems, because even the local ambulance service is concerned. The local authorities believed that by increasing and improving public transport there would be fewer cars on the road. Sadly this has not proved to be the case and the tailbacks are longer than ever before on key Majorcan roads. The airport motorway has a big traffic problem which needs to be resolved sooner rather than later. But what is the answer? Build more roads? Well this would cause an outcry from environmentalists, and the local authorities have already scaled back their road-building programmes.
In some ways the local authorities were right trying to push motorists toward public transport but this has proved unsuccessful. The car is still king in Majorca and even though there are fewer tourists about and as a result fewer hire cars, the tailbacks continue, so it proves clearly that the roads are not even adequate for the resident population let alone visiting tourists. At one stage there was talk of building a second ring road around Palma but this was later shelved and there has been talk for many years about building a train service direct to the centre of Palma from the airport. All these plans must be reconsidered again because we can’t continue with these long tailbacks. The local authorities need to act and fast because otherwise we will be in the slow lane.