This could soon become a reality on Mallorca: an upper limit for vehicles arriving on the island by ferry. While on Formentera Although strict rules have been in place for some time now, traffic is also becoming an increasing problem on Mallorca in the summer. Llorenç Galmésthe President of the Island Council, has set the ball rolling and indicated that it is time for bold decisions.
When you drive on the island's roads in the height of summer, you realize that traffic has long since reached the limits of the infrastructure. Especially on the narrow coastal roads or the serpentines of the Tramuntana, you can feel that the island is overloaded with the more than 324,000 vehicles that came by sea in 2023 alone. A Increase of 108 percent compared to 2017 - these are figures that don't lie.
What is behind the vehicle limit?
Rental car are at the center of the discussion here. You see them everywhere: small speedsters, chic convertibles or SUVs - but where are they all registered? Often not on Mallorca, but on the mainland, where the taxes for the vehicles are lower. So the true number of rental cars on the island often remains hidden. But that is about to change.
In addition to the rental cars, private vehicles from Vacationers and second home owners came into focus. The idea: a Entry fee for all vehicles that are not registered on the Balearic Islands. However, the all-clear has been given for residents - they will be exempt from the planned regulation.
Shuttle instead of traffic jam?
And then there are the particularly popular places such as Sa Calobra or the Port de Sóllerwhich become real hotspots for traffic chaos in the high season. Anyone who has ever been stuck in a traffic jam on the narrow road to Sa Calobra knows the problem only too well. That's why the island council is considering extending the use of Shuttle buses as was already the case on Cap Formentor is the case. The idea: fewer cars, more nature experience. Who can really argue with that?
Mallorca is undoubtedly facing a major challenge. And as Llorenç Galmés himself says: "We need courageous decisions." But that is exactly what makes the island special. It has the power to reinvent itself time and time again while retaining its beauty and authenticity.
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