Mallorca car rental firms open to limiting fleet

In this regard, the leading industry association, Baleval, commissioned an external consultancy to calculate the total number of rental cars using the islands’ roads each year. Their aim is to compare these figures with those held by local authorities in order to establish a shared statistical basis for discussion.

The number of rental cars in the Balearics has long been an uncertain figure, based on poorly substantiated estimates rather than rigorous studies. Following the pandemic, both industry and public administration sources estimated the number to be around 100,000 vehicles—slightly below pre-2020 levels—though without any solid evidence. Now, verified data and documentation will provide a clearer picture, with figures available for each island.

"We support limitations, we only ask that they be based on real data," says Baleval's president, Julio Nieto, who took over from Othman Ktiri last year. He also advocates for knowledge-sharing for mutual benefit. "We are working with data to share with the local authorities and compare with their own road capacity studies," he explains, adding that the conclusions drawn from this joint effort "should lead to global, effective, and realistic solutions."

The other major industry association, AEVAB, has also expressed support for potential fleet limitations. "We are open to negotiating with everyone to reach agreements," says its president, Ramón Reus, who believes Ibiza and Formentera could serve as a testing ground. "I think things are going well in Ibiza and Formentera; the idea is to gradually reduce the number of vehicles, and this approach could later be applied to Mallorca and Menorca," he asserts.

Both Nieto and Reus agree that any fleet downsizing must be agreed upon with the sector’s businesses. They emphasise that this will be addressed in meetings scheduled for the second phase of the Sustainability Pact, which is set to begin next week.