The study of road carrying capacity in Mallorca that was published on Wednesday seeks to define the island’s ‘vehicle ceiling’. The Council of Mallorca explains that this is the vehicle capacity the island can support with levels of comfort. Above this ceiling, road users have “a perception of saturation”.
The report indicates that the “most restrictive” proposal for the maximum number of vehicles would be 834,263 and that the “least restrictive” would be 863,061.
August is the month with the maximum number of vehicles. The two figures quoted here correspond to the total number of vehicles in August 2017 and 2018 respectively. In August 2023 the total was 956,660. The ceiling was therefore exceeded either by 122,397 or 93,599.
The number of permanent vehicles in Mallorca, according to the report, increased from 741,698 in 2017 to 829,825 in 2023. If one takes the most restrictive proposal, the ceiling would be reached with an additional 4,438 vehicles. (Goods vehicles, it should be noted, are treated separately.)
Private vehicles brought onto the island and hire cars explain the excess numbers. As can be seen, there would be very little scope for either, were the most restrictive ceiling to be applied, while there would only be modest scope with the least restrictive ceiling.
The report, which is highly detailed and stretches to almost 200 pages, will inform the deliberations of the working party for land transport established under the social and political pact for sustainability. The car-hire sector is represented on this working party.
