Vía Cintura after the coronavirus lockdown in Palma. | Ultima Hora

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There's been a drastic cut in the number of vehicles traveling on Majorca's roads every day since the coronavirus State of Emergency was decreed.

The Consell de Mallorca estimates that traffic was down by an average of 83% in the first month of quarantine.

The Vía Cintura is one of the busiest roads in Majorca at any time of the year, but during the second two weeks of confinement the number of vehicles per day plummeted by 137,000.

According to data from 2019 Daily Average Intensity, or IMD, 171,731 vehicles passed through Vía Cintura every day, but in the last month there were only 35,000.

There was a 90% drop in traffic on Sunday, April 5 and on April 3 the number of vehicles was down 78% compared to pre-quarantine numbers .

Downs

The IMD says there were 91,365 vehicles on the Andratx Toll Road in 2019, but traffic is down by nearly 90% and it’s decreased by 87.4% on the Airport freeway.

Iván Sevillano, the Insular Councillor for Mobility, said the data showed "the responsibility of citizens" and warned that "the guard cannot be lowered.”

The reduction in vehicles during the State of Emergency is echoed throughout Majorca.

Traffic was down by 95.26% in the Sóller tunnel, by 73% on the Esporles Road and 92% on the Palma-Manacor road during the April 4-5 weekend.

Despite the sharp drop, there are still queues because of the Guardia Civil’s multiple checkpoints on the roads to make sure everyone is complying with the coronavirus restrictions.

Carriers ask for a lane to avoid checks

The Freight Transport Association of the FEBT has asked the Government to make a lane available for truck drivers to avoid the checkpoints because some have missed the boat to the Peninsula or been late with deliveries because of the delays.