Alcudia mayor, Toni Mir.

Alcudia mayor, Toni Mir. | Andrew Ede

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterAlcudia22/08/2017 00:00
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Alcudia town hall is finally adopting tougher measures to deal with street drinking. There is to be an amendment to the 2008 bylaw, which has proved to be mostly ineffective. This established that alcohol consumption in public places was prohibited if and when it could cause a nuisance, but it only made provision for penalising alcohol drunk from bottles or glasses.

The consequence of this was that plastic glasses have been used, while action against the "botellón" in specific areas where nuisance is caused has been patchy. The amended bylaw will therefore include all types of container, will refer to all public places and will not distinguish between nuisance being caused or not. This doesn't of course include bar terraces.

Mayor Toni Mir says that there are to be increased police controls in the area where the botellón is most common - along Avenida Tucan and near to the Magic Roundabout (named after the Magic Centre, which has since been re-christened as Banana after the club in the centre). It is most common in this area and it has been happening for years. The local police are to also be supplied with more breathalysers. The stepped-up controls are due to start next month.

The mayor adds that it is too early to say what the fines will be. At present they range from 30 to 300 euros. There is to be, he notes, a "technical evaluation".

The town hall's principal concerns are as they are with other town halls: young people's drinking (especially those who are underage) and the mess caused. The amended bylaw is scheduled to be formally approved in October.