Police chief calls for a limit on hire cars in Palma

The head of the Palma Municipal Police Force, Joan Feliu, called for a limit to the number of hire cars allowed into the centre of the city yesterday in speech which is expected to be slammed by the tourist industry. Feliu, speaking at a conference in Madrid, said that at any one time there could be 40'000 rent-a-cars within the city limits which were causing serious traffic congestion. But his speech is expected to be criticised by the tourist industry which claims that the local authorities appear to be blaming holidaymakers for all Majorca's ills. Already the Balearic government is looking into ways of reducing the number of hired cars which are available. easyJet, the no-frills airline which has recently expanded into the hire car market, is watching all developments very closely. It is planning to set up a branch of its new low-rate rent-a-car business in Majorca next summer. The city council has already called for the removal of hire cars along the Paseo Maritimo, claiming that these vehicles were taking up valuable parking space.