The Consell de Mallorca has taken the first step towards creating a sustainable mobility law to regulate the entry of vehicles onto the island. The initiative aims to reduce traffic congestion and set a cap on rental cars.
A 108% increase in vehicle entries since 2017
According to the first capacity study conducted by the Consell de Mallorca, a total of 324,623 vehicles with drivers entered the island via its ports in 2023, which is 108% more than in 2017. Additionally, 55,000 driverless vehicles were transported as freight, bringing the total to 379,623 vehicles in a single year.
The same study analyses mobility during the busiest week in August and states that the ideal vehicle cap on the island should be 834,263, based on 2017 figures. However, in 2023, a total of 956,660 vehicles were on Mallorca’s roads during that peak week, highlighting a strain on the island’s infrastructure.
Additionally, the Balearic Islands’ Sectoral Mobility Plan reveals that in July 2018, visitors made an average of 1.3 million daily trips, representing 50% of the total mobility of residents. Of these trips, 40% were made using rental cars, contributing to a 25% increase in traffic on the island.
Legislative process begins
In response to this situation, the Councillor for Territory, Mobility, and Infrastructure, Fernando Rubio, has signed the resolution that initiates the process of drafting the new law. This document also opens a one-month public consultation period on the Consell de Mallorca’s Electronic Headquarters, allowing civil society, public bodies, and political parties to submit proposals.
Fernando Rubio emphasised the importance of this regulation, stating that “with this resolution, we are beginning the process to push forward a sustainable mobility law as soon as possible, just as Eivissa has done, to regulate vehicle entry onto our island.”
Next steps
The text of the future law will be drafted under the supervision of legal experts and mobility specialists from the Consell de Mallorca. Once approved by the island’s governing institution, it will be submitted to the Parliament of the Balearic Islands for processing and final approval. Additionally, each year, the Consell de Mallorca will conduct a capacity study to determine the maximum number of vehicles allowed onto the island.
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