The loss is based on a standard coach having 55 seats. With ten fewer parking places, this would mean 550 fewer seats. If an excursion costs 40 euros, then that means a daily loss of 22,000 euros. With a minimum of twenty days per month, this works out at 440,000 euros. Across the four main summer months, this equates to 1.76 million.
The federation is also criticising the fact that the town hall will increase the number of parking places for cars by taking away the ten coach parking spots. This, the FEBT believes, "favours" individual transport, something which creates damage to the environment. The federation notes that small transport operators, which go less frequently to Sa Calobra, are likely to be more harmed than the larger operators. It wants to ensure that the same company cannot reserve all 35 places for itself and leave no room for others.
The FEBT argues that the town hall has failed to meet legal requirements to do with participation and transparency. These include an obligation to give a year's notice of bylaws that involve legal changes and to hold public consultation prior to drafting laws. It therefore wants the town hall to either rescind the bylaw or to re-draft it, taking into account submissions made.
The town hall says that submissions which came from the federation were late. It did in fact meet with the federation last week. The outcome of that meeting was said to have been positive, with discussion of revising the number of coaches in high summer and apparent agreement to make changes next summer.
2 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
I see there's already a comment saying the coach spaces are rarely full - and that may be so: but this needs looking at closely because one of the best trips on the island (based on numerous friends who have done it) is the all-day circular trip which (in either direction) encompasses a ride on the historic Palma-Soller train, the old tram trip from the rail station down to the port, then the boat trip along the coast to spectacular Sa Calobra for a picnic/swim/walk round, and then the coach trip back to Palma via the stunning hairpin bends. It's a big earner and almost everybody says it's one of the best experiences of their holiday. So what I'm saying is that any juggling of the parking spaces must take this into account.
Utter rubbish. Even in peak summer only a fraction of the coach bays are occupied at any one time.