Taxi strike off

The good news for Calvia council and the general public is that the taxi strike ended last night, the bad new for the council is that the public are to stage a mass protest over the new parking regulations next month. All of the municipality's 188 taxis returned to the streets at 6.30 last night, when a new round of talks started. Calvia Mayor Margarita Najera is still determined to give the green light for 40 more taxi licences this morning, and 13 more next year, but each one will cost 20 million pesetas. The Calvia taxi association is prepared to accept 17 new licences this year and no more for another five years. However, talks are expected to continue without the threat of more industrial action until a satisfactory solution is found. But all is still not well in Calvia. The anti-ORA movement which is calling for the new pay and display parking system to be scrapped is planning a mass protest on June 13 in Calvia Village. Yesterday, for the first time ever, Calvia council opposition parties, the Majorca Union party and the Partido Popular, sided with angry residents and the issue is to be tabled at the next council meeting. The anti-ORA movement wants the pay and display system either scrapped or at least not applicable to residents and people who work in the area. On Tuesday the council, was handed a 3.000-strong petition against the new parking regulations and Calvia council can ready itself for a summer of discontent.