As part of the pedestrianisation scheme in Puerto Pollensa, the resort's public transport planning has had to be altered. This has meant that the bus stop, until recently by the tourist office and yacht club roundabout, has been relocated to the Roger de Flor street behind the church: there are in fact two stops - one for the local service to Alcudia and one for the Palma service.
The first rumblings of discontent regarding this move had to do with the fact that there was no bus shelter for the Palma bus. There now is, albeit that the number of waiting passengers spread out and have no shelter. The latest has to do with noise and fumes from the buses. A resident who lives right opposite the local service bus stop, Lorraine Hannen, contacted the Bulletin at the weekend and explained that the buses are "driving people to distraction" because of the noise and fumes.
The local service runs every fifteen minutes and can mean that there is more than one bus at a time. These buses are, says Lorraine, left with their engines running for up to ten minutes or more, creating additional noise and fumes. Speaking on behalf of other residents, she pointed out that another resident has already sent a complaint to Arriva, the bus company which operates Autocares Mallorca (the local service) and is ultimately owned by Deutsche Bahn (the German rail company).
When the bus stop was by the tourist office, there was never a particular issue with noise or fumes, given that there is little residential property and that the site is open. In Roger de Flor, on the other hand, the street is relatively narrow with several-storey apartments to one side and, in part of the street, the church to the other.
The town hall, meantime, has been contacted by residents as well, and the Bulletin was informed today by councillor Andres Nevado Rodríguez, the town hall delegate for Puerto Pollensa, that he is aware of residents' concerns. Contrary to information given to Lorraine Hannen at the local municipal office, Sr. Nevado confirms that the bus stops on Roger de Flor are not intended to be permanent. He says that in two to three months there will be a definitive draft of the project to locate the bus stops next to the Formentor bypass, a solution which had been suggested some time ago.