Tourists getting the blame yet again...

The debate over how to solve Majorca's traffic problem continued in the Balearic Parliament yesterday, with tourists being blamed again for this latest problem that the new left-wing coalition is talking about solving. Spokesperson for the PSM Majorcan Socialist Party, Antoni Alorda, told parliament, “Tourism is the phenomenon fuelling the traffic problem.” The Minister for Public Works, Josep Antoni Ferrer, announced yesterday that studies are underway into how best to modify the roads plan and how to make the most of the funding provided by central government. Ferrer said that the roads with the biggest problems run to Palmanova, Manacor and between Inca, Alcudia and Sa Pobla. There are plans to widen the Palmanova road, instead of extending the motorway, but the environmentally-friendly government is still studying what to do about the Manacor road and providing a better road link to Alcudia. Opposition MP José María González Ortea again accused Ferrer of actually doing very little to solve the problem, saying it is a bit late to start launching studies some eight months after coming to power. “After eight months you come and tell us you're thinking about a solution,” Ortea said. The government is in favour of ditching the three motorway plans drawn up by the previous government, but is aware that roads will have to be widened.