TW

The historic centre of Manacor will be closed to traffic under a town hall scheme to give priority to pedestrians. The authority wants to create a "more pleasant and sustainable city" and will therefore change the centre by getting rid of cars.

There will still be some vehicles but these will be subject to a residents parking scheme that covers the likes of the Plaça Convent and the calle Sant Domingo. Drivers with reduced mobility and suppliers' vehicles will also still have access.

The town hall has spent around one million euros on improvements, which include new tarmacking and paving. The ACIRE restricted parking system will be explained by the local police, as will be the fines for breaching it. There will be cameras to monitor registration plates; the same, therefore, as in Palma. Fines will not kick in immediately. The councillor for the local police, Miquel Perelló, says that there will be a period of time for people to get used to the new arrangements.

Isabel Febrer, the councillor for urban planning, believes that Manacor residents "should change the mentality" in creating greater accessibility on foot. Mayor Catalina Riera says that the scheme may well be developed in the future by having a connecting way to the train station.