Council gets on its bikes

To mark the start of “the week without cars” in Palma, the city council yesterday unveiled a new bicycle route from El Molinar to Coll den Rebassa. The Mayor Joan Fageda and members of both sides of the council, including opposition candidates for mayor eager not to miss another photo opportunity, and members of the local environmental group GOB, all cycled the 16 kilometre route which in fact runs to Can Pastilla, before returning to Palma by coach. The cycle track will eventually be extended all the way to Arenal as part of plan to renovate and improve the sea front along the Playa de Palma. Environmentalists have dubbed Palma an ideal city for bicycles and GOB has launched a campaign to try and encourage people to move about the city on two wheels as opposed to four. Today along the Borne in Palma a host of activities are being organised to promote the use of bicycles in the city and the installation of more secure parking facilities for cyclists. Cycle workshops will be set up and various organisations will be promoting their ideas as to how to improve traffic and transport in the city centre. On Sunday a special two-hour bicycle tour of Palma has been organised, starting at 10 am in Santa Catalina for those who wish to follow the route.