Easing traffic congestion on Mallorca’s roads is one of the main commitments of the new Partido Popular president of the Council of Mallorca Llorenç Galmés, who in his first 100 days in office has already commissioned a study to analyse the capacity of the road network.
“This way we will have a clear diagnosis of the problems we are suffering and we will be able to act and take tough measures”, he announced on Tuesday. In practice, this could mean capping the island’s vehicle fleet, something that Galmés has not ruled out, saying that they are considering regulating “the arrival of all types of vehicles during the high season”.
He also pointed out that, if this were to be done, there would be “exceptions for residents and goods vehicles so as not to affect supply”. Any decision taken by the Council of Mallorca will have to be backed up by the data in the report, which will be drawn up by the institution’s technicians, who will consult their own data and that of other public bodies and organisations.
“If the study finally indicates that we must take action, we will do so hand in hand with the sectors involved, as the Council of Ibiza (also governed by the PP and which has proposed similar limits) has done. We will not take any measure without dialogue and consensus,” Galmés stressed.
Asked whether a limitation on the number of vehicles could be established, as the Formentera council has already done, the president responded that Mallorca’s situation is more complex and that the study commissioned will have to analyse all roads and the metropolitan area of Palma, although he insisted that they do not rule out any type of solution.
Galmés also said that they are in talks with the Transport Ministry because “public transport is not proving an effective alternative to private transport, so that will have to be improved”.