Plan to eliminate Palma high-occupancy vehicle lane disputed by official traffic figures

The Council of Mallorca doesn't have the powers to eliminate the lane

High-occupancy vehicle lane in Palma, Mallorca

The high-occupancy vehicle lane has proved to be controversial. | Jaume Morey

Andrew EdePalma18/07/2023 15:28
TW
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Llorenç Galmés, the new president of the Council of Mallorca, has pledged to eliminate the high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) on the motorway from the airport to Palma. However, the Council cannot itself do this. The traffic directorate (DGT) is the responsible body in this instance, and at a meeting on Tuesday between Galmés and the head of the directorate in the Balearics, Francisca Ramis, he was presented with data which indicate that the lane has brought about some improvement.

Since the lane became operational in November last year, the DGT has found that traffic is moving more quickly. There are still traffic jams, especially in the morning, but the average speed in the centre lane is 84km/h and is 98 km/h in the HOV lane. In the opposite direction, the average speed for all three lanes is 82 km/h.

The DGT has also looked at accidents, comparing figures so far this year with those from 2019, when there were no restrictions because of the pandemic. For the stretch of road that the lane covers, there have been 45 accidents this year; there were 50 over the same time period in 2019. The number of accidents with minor injuries has been 14, 57% lower than in 2019.

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In addition, there have so far been no serious injuries or fatalities. Last year, three people lost their lives in accidents.

Galmés disputed the findings regarding accidents, saying that they had not been reduced significantly, while he added that, according to Council data, traffic jams have increased by 66%. Ramis observed that she didn't know where he was getting his figures from.

She explained that once the Council formulates its request for the lane to be eliminated, the Spanish government will analyse it based on objective data and technical criteria. It is a matter that has to be submitted to Spain's Council for Traffic, Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility.

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