Stricter controls on hire cars are on the agenda at today’s meeting of the Council of Majorca. A motion for a cap on the number of hire cars in Majorca has been tabled by the spokesperson for the El Pi party, Antoni Pastor. His party wants to see a limit placed on the number of cars allowed to operate in Majorca in order to ease the traffic saturation on the roads during the summer season.
El Pi, in opposition, has been fighting for tougher legislation of hire cars since the beginning of this current legislature. Measures had at one point been expected but they weren't included in tourism law reform. The government, specifically the tourism ministry's directorate, ruled out a tax on hire cars because of the difficulty with its implementation. Placing a limit on the number of cars was also felt to be problematic because of the way in which cars are registered. The large car-hire firms register vehicles on the mainland in order to pay lower road taxes. Consequently, and as the ministry has admitted, it is almost impossible to know how many hire cars there are at any one time.
The influx of cars operated by these companies is a concern that El Pi shares with other political parties and the Balearic association of car rental businesses. Pastor believes that this influx has led to increased congestion and that a solution needs to be found.
There will be a limit applied in Formentera as from next year, although this is part of a wider scheme to restrict all vehicles. Drivers will need to apply for permits in 2019. Periods when restrictions will apply and the limits themselves will be determined by the Council of Formentera.