The traffic directorate (DGT) and the Council of Mallorca have been at loggerheads ever since the new Partido Popular administration at the Council vowed to eliminate the high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) that is on a section of the road from Palma Airport heading into the city.
The DGT has the final say on traffic matters, unless the courts decide otherwise, the Council having given notice that it will pursue legal channels. Various compromises have been and are being proposed by the directorate, the latest ones centring on the lane being operational and non-operational at various times over a 24-hour period and on different days of the week.
The main proposal is for the lane to operate between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday and to be free of traffic restrictions at weekends. Previously, the provincial headquarters of the DGT in the Balearics had suggested that the lane should only operate during morning rush hours but without giving specific times.
The DGT is now also making proposals for the lane to be used by vehicles with environmental badges (electric, hybrid, gas). So, for instance, these vehicles could use the lane between 9am and 2pm and from 4pm to 8pm (Mondays to Wednesdays). But on Thursdays and Fridays, the slots would be 10am to 1pm and 7pm to 8pm, after which time these vehicles, like all others, would be able to use the lane free of restrictions. According to the DGT, the hours on Thursdays and Fridays would reflect the fact that there is more traffic coming from the airport than on other weekdays because of the 'weekend effect'.
So that drivers will know whether they can use the lane or not, the DGT will provide information panels to indicate time slots for all types of vehicle.
The DGT would provide them, but the Council would have to give permission to install them. The DGT may have the final say on traffic matters, but it doesn't own the road - the Council does.