Palma police have organised the installation of concrete barriers on the promenade in Playa de Palma between balnearios one and seven. The measure is a response to the terrorist attack on Barcelona's Las Ramblas.
Emergency vehicle access is of course an issue. Fire engines, it is said, have hardly ever been needed to attend any incident on the beach, but ambulances are a different matter. There is sufficient room for ambulances to manoeuvre though. Cleaning is another matter, and the local hoteliers association is wondering how the Emaya municipal services agency's cleaning machinery will cope. The association suggests that the barriers are excessive.
The decision to install the barriers was taken at the most recent meeting of the Level 4 terrorist risk committee, which is formed by Palma's police and the National Police. There are other obstacles for the pedestrianised street, Miquel Pellissa. These are both the concrete barriers and bollards.
Immediately after the incident in Barcelona, barriers were placed on the "Ham" and "Beer" streets in Playa de Palma as well as in the centre of Palma - Sant Miquel, Plaça Espanya and the Cathedral. Bollards that have been damaged in some way have been replaced.
These types of security measure are under consideration by other town halls in Majorca. A meeting this month has been arranged by Felib, the federation of local authorities, which represents the island's town halls, at which the installation of bollards and obstacles as well as other measures will be discussed.
Felanitx town hall put in 28 bollards for its recent fiestas, and Manacor installed some more planters. Calvia have admitted that a blocking of access to Punta Ballena and surrounding streets by police cars or vans, which has been happening since May, was as much a preventive security measure as it was to show increased police presence. This was done on the recommendation of the security forces but wasn't announced as a security measure in order not to raise any unnecessary alarm.