Whatever the outcome of the local elections at the end of next month, something has got to be done about the high density of traffic in Palma, and I’m not talking about building a tram which will throw the centre of the city into total chaos for the duration of the construction project leading to the potential closure of hundreds of small shops and a nightmare for the general public.
Furthermore, it’s not about trying to cap or reduce the number of rental vehicles. They spike during the three peak summer months; the city needs a year-round solution which does not involve pointing the finger at visitors. In my opinion, the key lies with changing the social fabric of the population at large. Most of Palma can be easily covered on foot, or bicycle or an e-scooter or even public transport.
But a substantial percentage of people still like their cars - in some cases the bigger the better, which are not suited for most parts of Palma. There appears to be an issue with using public transport. I don’t see why. It operates extremely well, not only in Palma but across most of the island. But while passenger figures appear to continue to rise, they don’t seem to be having any effect on the number of cars in Palma. Per capita, Palma must have one of the highest ratios of private vehicles in Europe. Some drastic action is going to be needed.