Tourist overcrowding in Sóller invades the health center parking lot.

PalmThe overcrowding experienced by Sóller in the summer—and increasingly so throughout the rest of the year—is increasingly affecting the municipality's mobility, and social media is flooded with complaints from residents. The municipality cannot cope with the number of vehicles passing through the tunnel every day, and overcrowding has even reached the health center's reserved parking spaces. These are spaces designated for patients and vehicles used by healthcare personnel to attend to home emergencies. However, unauthorized cars often park there. "There are seven reserved spaces, but tourists often occupy them, and the police are overwhelmed and can't come," explains Noelia Martín, a nurse at the center for years. ARA Baleares has attempted to speak with the First Deputy Mayor, Carlos Darder, to find out the municipal position, but has received no response.

According to Martín, not only visitors ignore the parking signs, but some residents do as well. The problem is that it's hard to tell if the vehicles belong to people receiving healthcare or to someone who leaves the vehicle there and goes shopping, for example.

Sources from the SOS Sóller platform maintain that the discontent generated by overcrowding among residents is growing. Many post photos on social media of rental cars parked in prohibited or reserved areas, including those of the health center. In some cases, it escalates to more serious situations, such as that of a resident who broke her femur during an argument with a tourist who had occupied a green space reserved for residents.

"These are very central locations, and since the park-and-ride parking spaces are far away, many think 'we'll park here and we'll be closer.' Some residents comment that there are foreigners who don't want to pay the ticket," they add from the platform. They also point out that the local police "are insufficient and are playing a poor role."

The problem goes beyond parking. Healthcare professionals from the health center make home visits to patients in Sóller, Port, Fornalutx, and Deià. In summer, the journey takes longer, and on the way back, they often find the spaces occupied and have to park where they can continue their journey.

Emergencies are also multiplying

Overcrowding also increases the number of emergency rooms at the Sóller PAC. "In the summer, we double our number of urgent care visits. Between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., we can see about 30, and in the afternoon, 60," says Martín. Doctors often work double shifts, and they try to ensure that some visits are made by phone to reduce the workload. "On-call shifts are horrible. 061 takes us out quite a bit, and since there's only one doctor and one nurse at night, if we go out, we have to close the center and leave a note indicating that, in case of a serious emergency, 061 should be called," he explains. "The other day I had a patient with kidney colic on the stretcher, and the doctor called me.061to send me somewhere else. I had to tell them I couldn't leave the patient inside the center, close up shop, and leave. That if anything, I'd move when I discharged him," the nurse added.