City shop keepers fear traffic chaos

The Federation of Small Shopkeepers, PIMEM, yesterday expressed serious concerns over the highly negative effect Palma city council's decision to start construction work on two new underground car parks in the centre of the capital will have on business. With the commercial sector already nervous about the performance of the forthcoming summer sales, which start on Monday, PIMEM fears that the simultaneous start of building work will create “traffic chaos in the heart of the city”. The underground car parks are being built in the avenida Compte Sallent and the plaza España, the latter of which has already become a traffic nightmare because of road works along the avenidas. Sources for PIMEM said yesterday that further road works, closures and diversions “will just add to the already chaotic state of traffic in Palma”. The Federation yesterday sent an official communique to the city council pleading for one of the projects to be delayed. PIMEM also revealed that, as far as the Federation is concerned, the city council has yet to present them with the alternative traffic plan.