Balearic Ports Authority data register all passenger vehicles, including motorcycles and coaches, and vehicles for commercial purposes - those for hire and for sale. Not included are the number of trucks for supplies and which pass through the ports on a regular basis. For 2019, there was a breakdown according to Spanish and foreign registrations. The 2022 records are still provisional and these registrations haven't as yet been specified.
For all five state ports in the Balearics - Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina are the other three - the total number of vehicles in 2022 was 1,284,710. In 2019 it was 548,968.
At the Thursday session of the Council of Mallorca, the councillor for mobility, Fernando Rubio, referred to the study of the island's road capacity. Regulating the entry of vehicles is not being ruled out. He explained that current data need to be interpreted and analysed further before acting.
Jaume Alzamora of the opposition Més argued that the Council should introduce limits on vehicles without waiting for the publication of the study that has been commissioned. In his view, the ruling Partido Popular were only seeking "to gain time". Rubio responded by observing that no study was commissioned when Alzamora was vice-president and nor was there one when Miquel Ensenyat of Més was Council president. "It is not appropriate to act in haste."
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Yet the hire cost is still sky high, so the lack of cars was cobblers for the over-inflated prices.
I have a TIB intermodal card so public transport is free for me. I use it when I can, especially when going to Palma. However, I cannot get to my work using public transport. So I have to drive. I have noticed this year especially that there is more traffic and my daily journey time has got longer because of it.
282,695 vehicles in 2019 and 633,501 in 2022 doesn't really say much. How many arrived during the COVID years of 2020 and 2021? Perhaps 2022 had an element of catch-up importation and private owners returning to the island? Fundamentally how many vehicles departed from ports?
So more cars ,more jams. I think that their will have to be restrictions introduced on the number on the roads. Many will disagree. But when they are in the next jam. Perhaps they will realise that the numbers must be controlled.