Palma city centre could have congestion charge...

By Humphrey Carter PALMA City Council said yesterday that it would be prepared to study the introduction of a congestion charge on traffic similar to the one in place in London and other European cities. Spain's ruling PSOE Socialist Party intends to introduce congestion charges for the country's big cities in its local election manifesto next year but yesterday Palma City Councillor for Traffic, Carlos Veramendi, said that the council has “no problem” with the proposal “but it will have to be carefully studied first,” he added. The councillor revealed that the Socialist party's proposed charge would work on lines very similar to existing schemes in operation across Europe however, he is concerned about the negative impact such a charge would have on the population. “Palma is a tourist destination and many of the visitors come to the city by hire car, perhaps tourists driving into the city centre will be charged” he added. Any such move in Palma would be primarily introduced to reduce the flow of traffic in the city centre. Veramendi said that three years ago, Palma City Council ordered a viability study into pedestrianising the entire city centre with wider pavements and a more controlled flow of traffic and easing traffic is the centre of a continuous battle for the city hall. In the middle of next month, the PSOE will publish its white paper on traffic in the big cities and the document is expected to include a wide range of ideas inspired by those already in place in various parts of the world. In principle, the Spanish government does not favour increasing road and traffic tolls but, should such a move encourage the greater use of public transport and ease traffic in city centres, improving the quality of life for residents, then the end will justify the means. As it is, the number of people using public transport in the Balearics has risen by 13 percent so far this year with over four million passengers using the ITB services which includes Majorca's railway and the non-metropolitan public bus services but at the peak of rush hour, Palma still comes to grid lock.