Parking in Palma has become even more of a nightmare than usual now that bars, restaurants and cafés have been authorised to use parking spaces as terraces during the coronavirus de-escalation process.
This problem is particularly bad in the Santa Catalina neighbourhood of the city and surrounding areas, where there are numerous bars and restaurants and a high volume of workers and residents.
The President of the Santa Catalina Residents’ Association, Jacinta Galindo, claims there’s been an avalanche of complaints from residents about the lack of available parking spaces, especially on weekends, when people come to Santa Catalina for lunch or dinner.
The Association says it will ask Palma Local Police to authorise people to use the parking spaces when the bars, restaurants and cafés are closed. Galindo is adamant that a formula must be found that suits everyone.
But apparently the Mobility Department isn't willing to consider the possibility that the spaces be used when establishments are closed because it would force the owners of bars, restaurants and cafés to dismantle and remove the planters and screens that they’ve already been allowed to put in place.
Several parking spaces have also been eliminated while works are being carried out in Santa Catalina which has made the problem even worse.