Why aren't cars restricted in Mallorca if everyone wants it?

PalmTraffic chaos is now part of daily life in Mallorca. And winter and summer are becoming increasingly indistinguishable. The deseasonalization that was so desired for years, along with the progressive purchase of properties by foreigners, has made the difference between high and low season increasingly insignificant: traffic jams are a recurring problem. According to data from the Consell de Mallorca (Mallorca Council), residents own more than 800,000 cars, while 380,000 arrive annually, primarily for tourism. There is a growing consensus on the need to limit vehicle access to Mallorca, as the Pitiusas Islands have done, and the People's Party (PP) in the Consell presented its proposal a year and a half ago. How is it possible that it has not yet been approved?

The Pitiusas Model

Formentera was a pioneer

The smallest of the Pitiusas Islands led the way in reducing the number of motor vehicles entering the island in 2019, and Ibiza followed suit in 2025. The Popular Party (PP) in Mallorca hoped to replicate Ibiza's model and register a bill in the Balearic Parliament originating from the Island Council. However, this plan fell apart when Vox, Llorenç Galmés's coalition partner, stated it would never accept imposing any tax on Spanish vehicles entering Mallorca. Consequently, the PP was forced to seek support from the left.

Sources within the PP explain why the bill has not been approved: "We haven't had all the necessary support, especially from the PSIB (Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands)." But the left is countering these accusations, and in this regard, the general secretary of the Socialists of Mallorca, Amanda Fernández, states: "The draft reached us in the spring of 2025. We worked on it and presented concrete proposals so that the PP could have our support. The Popular Party hasn't said anything to us since." According to the Popular Party, "if the PSIB's proposal includes elements such as requesting powers over mobility, it complicates and prolongs things," they told ARA Baleares. Fernández responds: "Although we proposed it, it is by no means a non-negotiable condition. We have simply enriched the proposal. What's happening is that the PP hasn't sat down to negotiate and is looking for excuses." For its part, MÁS per Mallorca has reiterated its support for the vehicle restriction, and this has been acknowledged by Councilor Fernando Rubio himself. The eco-sovereignists believe, in any case, that this and other measures that were supposed to be implemented have come to nothing. In this regard, the spokesperson for MÉS per Mallorca in the Consell, Catalina Inés Perelló, stated that "the PP's supposed tourism containment is just propaganda." "The figures refute the official narrative and demonstrate that the model continues to be based on increasing the number of tourists, while Mallorca suffers traffic congestion, pressure on public services, and the displacement of residents," she affirmed.

Shipping companies don't want to lose out there

They have filed an appeal in Ibiza

Adding to this scenario is the position of the shipping sector, which is observing the debate with concern and demanding that any decision be based on clear criteria, objective data, and common sense. Baleària, Trasmed, and GNV all state that they have no official confirmation that the Consell de Mallorca has decided to implement vehicle entry restrictions for 2026, but they admit that the debate could be reignited at any time. Officially, they do not say they are against restrictions, but it is clear to everyone that their business is transportation, including cars, and therefore, carrying fewer vehicles is not in their interest. In fact, Baleària filed an administrative appeal against the daily car limit in Ibiza, which is already in effect.

The three main companies operating maritime connectivity with the Balearic Islands have formed an alliance for unified action and have offered to collaborate with all island institutions. The objective, according to sources at Baleària in ARABalears, "is to participate in the design of measures that allow for a balance between sustainability and connectivity, while avoiding actions they consider symbolic or inefficient." "From our point of view," the same company source states, "any measure regarding mobility cannot be reduced to a binary debate or symbolic decisions." They add: "It must be based on data, transparent criteria, and a common-sense approach, focusing on what should not be up for debate: guaranteeing the daily lives of residents and the island's operational capacity, including the free movement of residents and seasonal workers—in short, the people who live there."

The shipping company assures that "if the Consell (Island Council) promotes measures with a technical basis and a commitment to balancing sustainability and connectivity, Baleària will contribute constructively and responsibly." "Our role as an essential connectivity operator also obliges us to be part of the solutions that involve a more sustainable model, yes, but especially a model that works and is effective for the people of Mallorca," he points out. For his part, the Director of Institutional Relations for the Grimaldi Group in Spain, Miguel Pardo, argues that any measure related to mobility "must go beyond symbolism" and must prioritize the daily lives of residents and people who work on the island, including seasonal workers. According to the sector, it makes no sense to promote restrictions that end up penalizing those who live or work in Mallorca, and they demand proportionate, realistic decisions that are compatible with connectivity. The PSIB has met with the shipping companies. "It helped us understand their objections in more detail, but in any case, I think they're even aware that the time has come to take action. If nothing is done, it's more due to Llorenç Galmés's inaction than anything else," says the Socialist secretary.

The data speaks for itself

The pressure keeps growing The fact is that the blockage this measure has faced contrasts sharply with the conclusions of the vehicle load study commissioned by the Consell de Mallorca itself, which served as the technical basis for justifying the need to regulate the entry of cars onto the island. The report confirms that Mallorca has clearly exceeded the limits of vehicles considered sustainable, especially during the peak months of the tourist season. According to this study, in 2023 more than 324,000 vehicles with drivers entered through the ports of Mallorca, a figure that almost doubles that recorded in 2017. If we add the approximately 55,000 goods vehicles, the total approaches 38 million. This volume is equivalent to between 35% and 40% of the residents' vehicle fleet, which already exceeds 800,000 cars. The analysis focuses on the peak week in August, when nearly 957,000 vehicles were counted simultaneously on Mallorca's roads, well above the threshold the study sets as sustainable, which is around 834,000 vehicles. In practical terms, this means that Mallorca typically has between 90,000 and 120,000 more cars on the road than the road system can handle without collapsing. Based on this diagnosis, the study proposed regulating the entry of vehicles that do not pay taxes in the Islands—mainly tourist cars—and introducing deterrents during peak season, ensuring that the measure does not affect residents, as Ibiza and Formentera have already done. However, the proposal has stalled in the political arena. So what now?

Nobody refuses, but nobody does

There is a study that illustrates the problem. The political majority on the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca) claims it wants to limit tourism, and the left says it supports this. The shipping companies are not outright opposed to regulation, and therefore it seems that all that remains is to negotiate a final text and bring it to the plenary session. But the opposition doubts it will succeed. The PSIB (Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands) even took the initiative directly to the Parliament as a proposed law, and MÁS per Mallorca (More for Mallorca) attacked the PP (People's Party) island government, which it accuses of maintaining a narrative of "tourism containment" that, according to the party, is contradicted by the data. Figures for 2025 indicate that Mallorca has exceeded 13.5 million visitors, with 167,000 more tourists than the previous year, while tourist rentals have grown by 22% and, according to MÁS, have consolidated a model that exacerbates the housing crisis and overcrowding of the island.