HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES BANNED FROM PALMA'S PASEO MARITIMO

PALMA
HEAVY goods vehicle traffic is going to be reduced along the Paseo Maritimo from this morning when new traffic regulations come into force.
The seafront is one of the busiest stretches of road in the city with an average of 63'000 vehicles using the Paseo every day.
However, from today, an estimated 200 heavy goods vehicles are going to be diverted off the seafront and on to the Via Centura ring road in a bid to reduce heavy traffic along the road and also increase safety.

Two years ago two Bulgarian air hostesses were killed by a runaway HGV as they waited at the bus stop opposite the Club de Mar.
Palma City Councillor for Transport, Joaquin Rodriguez said yesterday that an average 855 lorries use the Paseo Maritimo every day and the new restrictions only permit heavy goods vehicles weighing 16 tones or more to use the Paseo Maritimo between 5am and 1pm Monday to Friday.

Rodriquez added that this is the first step of many being studied to reduce all traffic along the seafront.
A long term idea is the introduction of a dedicated single lane for heavy goods traffic and even a complete ban on lorries along the Paseo.
This new initiative will be analysed at the end of the summer and if it proves to be successful will continue, if not, then other measures will be taken.

The Councillor for Transport explained that a total ban on HGVs has been put on hold because of the extra costs it will incur lorry drivers because of the current high costs of fuel.

For the first two weeks, drivers unaccustomed to the new rules, in particular those delivering from the mainland or overseas, will not be fined for breaking them, but in the middle of this month, the traffic police will be out in force to make sure that the new traffic regulations are complied with.