Palma City Council is continuing with its crusade against bar and restaurant terraces.
While its drive to reduce the number of terraces in the city centre appears to have died down for the time being, Palma’s Local Police have denounced and fined half of all the establishments which were inspected during May and June.
In total, the Green Patrol, visited 463 bars and restaurants to make sure that the terraces possessed the necessary licenses, that they did not exceed the permitted area and that there were no obstacles for pedestrians.
And, of the 463 locations inspected, 230 failed to meet the necessary rules and regulations.
The most common mistake was that establishments failed to properly display their license while others were denounced for exceeding the limits of the terrace, keeping the terrace open longer than permitted and having obstacles for pedestrians.
The fines ranged from 100 to 3,000 euros for the most serious infractions.
Palma Local Police sources explained that its Green Patrol inspected establishments across the city and only visited bars or restaurants about which they had received complaints from local residents in order to make sure that the establishments complied with the law.
Sources also said that the inspections this year are different to last because this summer the inspections are much more intense and complete. The inspections will continue during the summer season and will encompass the whole city, not just the centre of the capital. The new public order law which will include new rules and regulations governing terraces is due to be approved this month and will come into force next month. The new law is going to mean the reduction in the number and size of bar and restaurant terraces in order to create more space for pedestrians.
In the meantime the council is working on resolving 55 objections to the law which have been submitted by various commercial bodies.