The Balearic island of Mallorca has proposed a new law which will restrict access to the approximately 400,000 vehicles that enter the island via its ports every summer, with hefty fines for offenders.
Mallorca’s Council has approved a new proposal to regulate vehicles on the island in a bid to cub traffic congestion, particularly during the busy tourist season.
The legislation will first need to be approved by the Balearic Parliament before it can be put into force, but lawmakers hope they will be able to implement it by 2027.
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The law seeks to place a maximum limit on the number of vehicles entering Mallorca that do not pay taxes there, as well as to put a cap on rental cars and introduce new vehicle taxes.
All residents will be exempt from these restrictions, as well as non-residents who own property on the island.
Non-resident holiday home owners will only be allowed to own one vehicle registered for tax purposes on the island though.
Vehicles owned by workers temporarily relocating to Mallorca for work and those belonging to residents of other Balearic Islands who need to travel there for particular reasons will also be exempt from the new rules.
Limits will also not be placed on vehicles used for serving people with reduced mobility, official vehicles, and public service vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, security forces vehicles, taxis, and school buses.
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This means it will mainly affect tourists taking their cars on ferries from other parts of Spain and those who use rental cars on the island.
Travellers who violate the restrictions will face fines ranging from €300 to €30,000 and vehicles entering Mallorca without the required authorisation may be impounded.
There are more than 830,000 vehicles registered in Mallorca and a population of 978,000 – excluding tourists.
During the summer months, approximately 400,000 vehicles from outside the island arrive through the ports of Palma and Alcúdia. There are also roughly 100,000 rental cars on the biggest Balearic island.
Mallorca, as well as other Balearic Islands, has been experiencing increasing overcrowding in recent years and residents have held several protests asking tourists to stay away and authorities to help limit the numbers.
This is just one more step aiming to help improve the situation on the island.
Back in 2023, Menorca was given the go ahead by the regional parliament of Spain’s Balearic Islands to introduce similar limits on vehicles.
It enabled the island to set a maximum ceiling for the number of cars it would allow on the island and for a defined period.
The island of Ibiza also started limiting the number of incoming tourist cars and caravans last year. From June 1st to September 30th each year, the daily number of vehicles used by non-residents is now capped at 20,000.
