Today, Tuesday, the Balearic Parliament rejected the non-binding motion tabled by the PSIB socialist party on limiting vehicles in Mallorca, an initiative which, despite having the support of the left, failed to pass due to the votes against it cast by the 33 MPs from the centre and far right PP and Vox.
Socialist MP Amanda Fernández, who defended the proposal, assured the chamber that, if her party returns to power in 2027, the “first thing” it will do is pass the law to limit the entry of vehicles onto the island. The PSIB MP predicted that within a year “the public will send the members of the PP and Vox, currently present in the islands’ institutions, into opposition”.
During the debate, Fernández argued that this proposal aimed to reduce external pressure on Mallorca and insisted that the proposed measures “are not directed against residents”, but against vehicles that do not pay tax in the Balearics and which increase congestion, particularly during the high season.
PP MP Marga Pocoví criticised the Socialists for failing to commission studies on the road network’s capacity during their eight years in government, although she acknowledged the need for regulations to limit the entry of hire cars and to consider the application of charges at times of peak congestion.
From Més per Mallorca, MP Ferran Rosa criticised the regional government’s lack of commitment to implementing short-term measures and questioned the PP on when such a law would be ready, after warning that “it won’t be ready this season”. “We want to be able to drive around our own home, and not just when the tourist season is over,” he insisted.
Vox rejected the proposal, arguing that it confuses sustainable mobility with restricted mobility, and claimed that the problem is not solved by limiting traffic, but through planning and real transport alternatives. Tuesday’s debate highlighted the consensus on the problem of traffic congestion in Mallorca, but also the differences of opinion regarding the measures to be implemented, against a backdrop marked by an increase in the number of vehicles and the pressure of tourism on the island’s infrastructure.
The rejected bill proposed, amongst other measures, setting a cap on the number of vehicles, regulating hire cars and introducing access charges in order to move towards a more sustainable mobility model and reduce structural congestion. It also included fines of up to €30,000 for the most serious offences and drew on models already in place on other islands such as Formentera and Ibiza.