Palma parking shake-up: party fights 1,027-space plan
Palma, Mallorca: a plan to convert 1,027 ORA parking spaces faces a demand for an immediate halt. Coalició per Mallorca called on Palma City Council on 7 October to stop the change and suspend an expansion of the ORA zone planned for 1 January. The spaces are currently used by different drivers in turn.
Why the party fears for local shops
Virginia Pericás, the party’s coordinator in Palma, says the change would cut that rotating parking by 82.4 per cent. She argues that it would make life harder for neighbourhood shops while shopping centres outside the centre offer free or easily accessible parking. The party backs concerns raised by the retail association Afedeco.
Pericás says the council has proposed no new park-and-ride spaces and has not studied the impact. She points to Pontevedra as an alternative, saying it combined measures to reduce emissions with park-and-ride facilities and free 15-to-30-minute spaces for quick shopping trips.
What it wants before any change
Coalició per Mallorca wants talks with residents and retail groups before the spaces are converted. It also wants a report on the possible effects on sales, jobs and the future of neighbourhood businesses.
Its alternative includes short-stay spaces for quick errands, park-and-ride facilities and better public transport. The party says it will support actions and appeals brought by the retail sector.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com