In a statement, the Town Hall stressed that Article 46 of Law 4/2014, of 20 June, on land transport and sustainable mobility in the Balearics, states that the authority to authorise the transport of passengers in vehicles with fewer than four wheels corresponds to the town council of the municipality in which the activity takes place and, likewise, that in order to transport passengers on the urban roads of Palma it is necessary to have the corresponding municipal licence issued by the competent body, in this case the Town Hall.
In the case of the ‘tuk tuks’, the Town Hall has not granted any administrative authorisation to operate, therefore their use for the transport of passengers is not permitted. By virtue of the provisions of article 85 of this regulation, the provision of passenger transport services in three-wheeled vehicles without the corresponding municipal licence is classified as a very serious offence, with fines ranging from 1,001 to 6,000 euros. Repeated commission of the same offence within a period of 24 months, sanctioned by a final decision, shall be punished with a fine of 50 per cent more than the maximum provided for in the corresponding scale.
On the other hand, in accordance with the provisions of article 56 of Law 39/2015, of 1 October, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations, provisional measures may be adopted, before or during the corresponding sanctioning procedure, consisting of the immobilisation of the vehicle. The mayor has pointed out that compliance with the regulations is essential to guarantee safe mobility for all residents and visitors to Palma.
“We are going to act with all the firmness necessary to prevent the development of this activity, which is not authorised and never will be, because in our mobility plan we have no plans to authorise this type of passenger vehicle,” Martínez stressed.
And Palma is among the 11 city councils in Spain most highly valued by the public. According to the 2025 Citizens‘ Choice Awards, which recognise exemplary city councils that have stood out for their efficiency in multiple areas of public management. What residents value most is the work carried out by the City Council of Palma in the areas of Gastronomic Tourism and Food, where it receives a score of 7.13 out of 10; Cultural Heritage and Historical Tourism, with a score of 6.31; and International Relations and Development Cooperation, 6.23.
The other 10 town councils in Spain with the highest ratings from citizens are those of A Coruña, Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cádiz, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Málaga, Santander, Zaragoza and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The organisation behind the ‘Citizens’ Choice‘ seal of approval maintains that what makes a place ideal to live in is “the satisfaction of its inhabitants, which is reflected in the quality of services, public management and, of course, social welfare.
The organisation explains that “in this 2025 edition, Citizens’ Choice has presented awards in various categories, based on the national ranking of the study. The awards are given to cities that have achieved the greatest alignment between their management and the expectations of citizens.
Furthermore, those city councils that stand out for their excellence in multiple areas will receive the ‘Exemplary City Council’ certification, in recognition of their commitment to citizens and their leadership in public management. “The award-winning municipalities have demonstrated their dedication to the well-being of their citizens through good practices in key sectors such as tourism, education, culture, innovation, etc.,” concluded “Citizens” Choice’.
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In politics never say never Sr Martinez. These vehicles, ( only electric) would be an excellent way of moving people quickly and easily around the city and limited to the city areas . Further and you need a taxi which may go a little way to sooth the taxi sector who will be outraged. A seamless transition from taxi licence to tuktuk licence would help, sorting out fares would be something else. Small quiet quick mobility around Palma city has to be a benefit to all. I experienced tuktuks in Jakarta in the days when they were man powered. The American oil workers would organise races around the block with winners getting ,for them, big bucks. Exploitation - by todays standards probably, but fun.