20/04/2013 00:00
TW
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THE long-term plan was confirmed yesterday by Socialist Mayor Aina Calvo, adding that it was her judgement that the programme for making the whole of the city centre a pedestrian-only area would have to be considered a “medium-term” project, not something which could be started next year or even the year after that.

Calvo was speaking yesterday after the presentation of the April Fair in Palma, clarifying that it was not the City Council who had originally proposed introducing a congestion charge on traffic driving through the centre. It was apparently the work of a Citizens' Lobby which is active in Palma's social and cultural participation programme called “Agenda 21.”

E.U. DIRECTIVE
Lobby representatives had made their proposals for the congestion charge known to the Council who duly “noted” them. The next stage is for the idea to be on the agenda at the next full Council plenary session to be held next Tuesday.

This will be an opportunity for other political parties to get to know of the proposals but Calvo emphasised that this does not mean that all groups will agree with them or that the City Council will automatically accept them.

Calvo said that if the Council did in fact see fit to carry forward the idea, it would definitely not be something to consider as part of this year's municipal election manifesto. “There are far too many other things to do,” the Mayor said.

She explained however, that with European Union guidelines enforcing city centre pollution control to bring emissions down by 2020, it would need to be high on the agenda by the time the next local elections came round. “A congestion charge and the pedestrianisation programme are part of that longer term aim,” said the Mayor “but neither are an immediate priority.”