Plan to end traffic chaos suffered for years by Manacor

MANACOR council is to put in place a traffic plan which aims to end the serious traffic chaos historically suffered by the town.
The traffic figures for Manacor prove the gravity of the situation. The amount of vehicles this town has is 937 per 1'000 inhabitants, nearly one per person. But you don't need to look at the figures to appreciate the problem. It's enough to just try to drive in the town on weekdays. Lack of parking spaces, traffic jams and chaos are the main problems, in addition to which pedestrians suffer as well because the pavements are obsolete and in a bad state of repair. No plan has been drafted before because there was no money to implement it. The councillor for traffic, Antoni Frau, explained that Manacor council obtained a grant of 60'000 euros from the Balearic Ministry for Commerce and Industry and from the Environment Ministry to carry out a study. The document for the application of the plan will tackle different subjects, such as residents' access to certain parts of the town, the use of private vehicles and the use of public transport. At the same time, the plan will include a list of the areas of the town which have become “black spots” with regard to accidents and environmental issues, such as noise and atmospheric pollution due to the high number of vehicles in the area. The plan also takes into account the access law for disabled people which all towns have to comply with by 2008. In Manacor's case, the council is working on a plan with a route through points of interest and with basic services, as it will be impossible for them to adapt all the town's streets.