British expats could be impacted by a potential new ban on foreign cars in Mallorca.
The Council of Mallorca is reportedly under pressure from left-wing party Mes per Mallorca to impose a limit on vehicles owned by non-Mallorca residents entering the island.
According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, under the proposal any vehicle which wishes to enter the island has to have express permission from the Council of Mallorca before doing so.
There would be a limit on the number of vehicles which could enter, one which applies during peak times. A badge would also be needed to show that that vehicle was allowed to be in Mallorca.
The proposed ban has come about because of a large rise in the number of vehicles which has led to the roads becoming more packed and a rise in pollution.
According to traffic data, the island experienced a 14.7 percent increase on a stretch of road known as the Andratx-Palma MA-1.
This means that the journey time between Andratx and Palma has nearly tripled from 35 minutes to 90 minutes.
The congestion has forced people to take alternative routes which has led to traffic jams in local villages, contributing to local pollution.
The fear is that the limit on vehicles entering the island will detrimentally impact the thousands of British tourists and expats who flock to the island every single year.
The sheer number of expats and tourists has caused friction in recent weeks as the hotter summer months approach and the island braces itself for another wave of Britons.
Earlier this month, holiday operator TUI’s CEO Sebastien Ebel hit back at claims by locals on Mayorca that there were too many British tourists.
He told the Majorca Daily Bulletin: “This is not a question I wish to answer. I would prefer the people of the Balearic Islands to say how many tourists they want to have.”
Mr Ebel added: “The islands offer a great product and people love spending their holidays there. Our obligation is to ensure that we contribute by bringing the right customer.
“Without sustainability, it would be very difficult for us to maintain our activity, so we must ensure that what we do is also valuable for the people of the Balearics.
“If in the end there are too many tourists or too few, that must be decided by the residents themselves.”
