"Unsustainable" traffic in Mallorca

Traffic congestion was an issue that prompted the government's sustainability pact

The Via Cintura in Palma is the busiest of Mallorca's roads. | Teresa Ayuga

TW
2

In 2023, according to the Council of Mallorca's mobility department, vehicles on the island's roads travelled 8.67 billion kilometres, a figure that is expected to increase three to four per cent each year. The average daily traffic intensity in Mallorca in 2023 was 13,767. But this is a figure which varies greatly depending on the road. On the Via Cintura in Palma, for instance, it is 186,000 vehicles, while on secondary roads in the interior it is 700-800 vehicles per day.

For the councillor for mobility, Fernando Rubio, the figures are "unsustainable", hence why the Council will be looking to limit vehicle traffic from 2026.

Related news

The Council's traffic carrying capacity study assessed the type of travel and concluded that 20% of journeys over the course of a year are made by tourists. The other 80% included journeys that were tourism-related, e.g. coaches or delivery vans.

In 2023, a total of 324,623 passenger vehicles (i.e. vehicles with drivers) entered Mallorca's ports. These represented a 108% increase compared to 2017. On top of these were 55,000 vehicles that entered as freight (without drivers), giving an overall total of 379,628 vehicles.

Traffic jams are one of the issues that come in for most criticism from residents. Therefore, the Council is working to reduce the number of cars entering the island as well as on other measures such as improving access to Palma, one of the most congested routes.