Seven-euro-a-day car hire tax proposed in Balearics

The Mallorcan Nationalist Party, Mes, announced this morning that they wanted to introduce a rent-a-car surcharge of between two and seven euros a day in an effort to raise funds for public transport. The surcharge would be levied on the number of kilometres travelled by the vehicle per day. "The more kilometres you travel, the more you pay," Mes said in a statement this morning.

The move comes at a time when the island is trying to fighting traffic gridlock with rent-a-cars being blamed as one of the major reasons for the traffic "saturation." Just last week the Balearic government announced plans to expand the rail network on the island with a new service to Palma airport.

Hoteliers have already slammed the increase in the tourist tax and the new proposed surcharge is expected to receive similar treatment both from the ruling Balearic government and the tourist industry.

Until recently Mes formed part of the ruling Balearic government coalition but it was toppled at the last local elections by the right-wing Partido Popular.