Traffic chaos returned to Mallorca last Friday, once again exposing the island’s limited road infrastructure during peak tourist season. Early in the afternoon, authorities were forced to shut the Soller tunnel for the second consecutive day. The reason: an overwhelming number of vehicles heading toward the popular mountain town, leading to tailbacks stretching over seven kilometres, all the way to Raixa.
The closure came just as poor weather was forecast for the weekend, pushing many tourists inland to the villages of the Serra de Tramuntana. Hundreds of private vehicles, tour buses, and rental cars were trapped in near-standstill conditions, with aerial footage capturing the sheer scale of the congestion. With few alternative routes and no meaningful public transport solutions, the roads simply could not cope.
Scenes like these are becoming increasingly common across Mallorca and other tourist hotspots like Formentor. Locals have long warned that the volume of cars is unsustainable, and that the current system fails to balance mobility with environmental protection or quality of life for residents.
But while national discussions around sustainable mobility are still in the planning phase, the Balearic Islands have already begun turning ideas into action.
On the islands of Ibiza and Formentera, non-resident vehicles are now subject to a daily 1€ charge during the summer months. Officials are considering even stricter rules—such as higher fees during high season or hourly driving limits—to further ease congestion. Meanwhile, Mallorca is reportedly preparing to adopt a similar model, with charges ranging from 35€ to 150€ per day, depending on vehicle emissions.
These efforts form part of a wider push to reduce vehicle-based tourism and ease pressure on local infrastructure during the months when the population can more than triple.
One of the more controversial proposals on the table is a limit of one vehicle per household, based on fiscal residence. This measure, proposed by the Balearic government rather than Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), aims to reduce the total number of locally registered cars. While exceptions would apply—for example, in cases of emergency, reduced mobility, or specific family needs—it would represent a major shift in how mobility is managed on the islands.
Although not all proposals have been formalised or assigned start dates, the direction is clear: Spain is beginning to explore policies that discourage the overuse of private vehicles and promote more sustainable transport models. The gridlock seen in Mallorca constantly is just one symptom of a wider problem—one that both regional and national governments are under increasing pressure to solve.