Marga Prohens, the Partido Popular's parliamentary spokesperson, has described the plan to turn stretches of motorway central reservations into bus fast lanes as a joke. It is an initiative, she suggests, to cover up the chaos in public transport, with a reduction in the number of stops in order that the citizens can get more exercise.
"This government is making cuts to public transport and is introducing side issues like the central reservations and bus services to tourist resorts in order to disguise its ineptitude."
Criticism isn't coming only from the PP. Antoni Bauzá of the CAEB's taxi association believes that seven million euros to go on the central reservations would be better spent in other ways in order to make public transport more efficient.
However, the federation for transport companies is taking the government's side. Spokesperson Salvador Servera says that the government is responding to an historical demand and to one that was presented to all political parties prior to the last election. "In the same way that new roads are now built to incorporate bike lanes, we are asking that they also include fast lanes for buses and vehicles with high occupancy." (The plan for the fast lanes would also apply to vehicles with a minimum of three passengers.)
Environmentalists GOB have greeted the proposal positively but believe that the most important thing is to not increase the number of lanes and the capacity for private vehicles. "It is a good measure but not enough. What would make greater sense would be for the Council of Majorca to not create new infrastructure."
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It is a joke. When you've seen the state of the road surfacing on most of the island, this idea has to be a joke...
Who said anything about refugee camps, Julian?
There was every opportunity to link the airport by rail when €millions were spent on putting a practically unused line from Placa Espana to the University instead - you know, the underground that flooded as soon as it rained? The obvious alternative run was to the airport but as usual, vested interests such as the taxi cartel soon put a stop to that...thus a terrific opportunity to have a high-volume revenue-earning rail link was lost.
And here´s me thinking that central reservations were something to do with road safety ! ( i.e. to stop speeding vehicles involved in accidents crossed over into the oncoming traffic )
Trains would be the answer .Most cities across the world have train links to the airport.
What has world population growth got to do with the grass centres ?. Are you suggesting that we should build refugee camps on them ?.
How about a train link to the airport, which would get tourist traffic off the road & reduce the polution levels
These beautiful grass centres do need to go as the population of Mallorca will only ever increase due to World population growth. I have always felt they were dangerous especially for the garden teams who trim them. We will only continue to see more congestion on the roads. We all want cars and need them as public transport is not frequent enough. We have already seen this happening. However, I would not open up for the use of only buses it should be open for all.