The issue of illegal street selling in Palma is a well-known one, and on certain days, especially when cruise ships are in port (even in the low season), parts of the city are full of sellers, some of whom lay out their goods on blankets. The town hall is determined to tackle the issue both through information and police operations, but it is moving towards adopting a more radical solution, one that addresses the work and social conditions of the sellers themselves.
Angelica Pastor, the councillor for public safety, presented a new leaflet on Thursday which informs residents and tourists of the disadvantages of this type of selling: the impacts, in particular, on small, legitimate traders.
She added, though, that the town hall is considering creating an area where the sellers would be able to regularise their situation, with permission from the interior ministry. All manner of actions (police ones) can be carried out, but ultimately the town hall is seeking to ensure that there is control.
The leaflet, which is in Spanish, Catalan, English and German, asks visitors (and residents) not to buy counterfeit products, as their sale is illegal. It adds that these products can sometimes be a risk to consumers, who are otherwise invited to buy from local businesses and so contribute to the local economy, which the illegal street sellers do not.