Traffic jam in Palma, Mallorca

Mounting complaints about the traffic jams in Palma. | Alejandro Sepúlveda

Andrew EdePalma17/03/2023 08:09
TW
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The Council of Mallorca's roads department is insisting that roadworks in Palma do not relate to the Council but to the town hall. On Camí Salard, where there are rush-hour delays of around half an hour, the Council is undertaking the work, but it is on behalf of the town hall. The department describes inconvenience caused by maintenance work for the HOV high-occupancy vehicle lane as a "one-off", while it notes the repercussions of the work on the Paseo Marítimo, which is not its responsibility.

Palma's mobility councillor, Francesc Dalmau, says that responsibilities for access roads to Palma, the Via Cintura 80 km/h speed limit and the HOV lane are all those of the Council of Mallorca. The town hall argues that not all the traffic jams currently being experienced are caused by roadworks, although it does recognise the impact of the Paseo Marítimo work.

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These are the positions of Council and town hall in the face of criticisms from the transport sector and the general public regarding jams in and around the city. There is a demand for better coordination and organisation between the relevant authorities when it comes to the scheduling of work.

Arnau Bisquerra of the taxi drivers in Palma believes that a "structural problem" and a lack of coordination are causing the traffic "collapse". The work on the Paseo Marítimo will ultimately be beneficial for the city, but for now "it is damaging us". He points out that before the current roadworks there were already delays - "Traffic jams at the entrances to the industrial estates, on the Valldemossa road and on the the accesses to the Via Cintura from Inca, Llucmajor and Calvia." He is concerned about what will happen in the summer when "thousands of hire cars" descend on the city.

Petra Mut of the transport federation shares these worries about the high season and has questions as to "how the HOV lane will function". She says roadworks have affected federation members a great deal in recent weeks and is seeking "greater synchronisation and organisation" between the town hall, the Council and the Balearic Ports Authority. If there were such coordination, "the consequences wouldn't be so dire".