The president of the Council of Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, says traffic jams and accidents have been reduced where actions have been taken; technical reports indicate this.
He adds that the Council will continue to work in making further improvements. "More plans have been created in two years than in eight (a reference to the previous two administrations of the left coalition). We are developing a 164 million euro plan for the entrances to Palma. There are completed projects that have reduced traffic jams, such as the Son Oms exit towards the airport and the Son Sant Joan exit towards Llucmajor. In addition, we have allocated 20 million euros to improve secondary roads, which were neglected, and another 24 million euros to eliminate 40 traffic jams."
Two years on from taking office, Galmés is presiding over legislation to limit vehicles. "The draft we have has the legal backing of the Council's legal services. We have the almost total support of the employers' associations, and for the first time we have commissioned a carrying capacity study.
"This study indicated that almost 400,000 vehicles entered Mallorca in 2023 and that this number cannot be absorbed. This is why we are pushing for a bill that will have to be approved by the Balearic Parliament, applying a deterrent tax and setting a limit on the number of hire cars for which tax isn't paid on the islands. Non-residents with a home on the island will only be able to have one vehicle per household, provided they pay road tax here. This has legal support, and we are protected in that we are a limited territory."
Tourism plays its part in road congestion, and the Council faces the constant complaints of overtourism in Mallorca. In this regard, Galmés explains, the PIAT plan for intervention in tourism areas is being modified, though it will take "several years".
"But thanks to the regional government's tourism decree, and after a tourism carrying study we commissioned from the University of the Balearic Islands, we will be able to approve the reduction in capacity and set it at a maximum of 412,000 accommodation places. Furthermore, we are fighting illegal supply, requesting four million euros of tourist tax revenue, as this seriously damages the Mallorca brand. We have gone from 20 to 30 inspectors and have 17 new employees in the inspection department. Fines totalling eight million euros are currently being processed."