The idyllic Spanish town of Soller in Majorca, often hailed as one of the island’s most beautiful spots, has imposed a ban on hire cars in its centre. The move comes as the local council seeks to tackle issues arising from the town’s popularity, such as traffic congestion and parking problems.
According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the council has taken steps to limit the number of vehicles in the town centre by creating zones exclusively for cars owned and registered by residents.
Tourists wishing to visit Soller by car are advised to park outside these zones and proceed on foot. To accommodate this, new car parks are being established.
However, one frequent visitor to Soller expressed concerns, stating: “Providing that there is parking I don’t think that there will be a problem, but if there is no parking then it could be a nightmare.”
There have also been calls to limit the number of hire cars on the island, something that car hire firms have spoken out against. Othman Ktiri, CEO of car-hire firm OK Mobility, previously said in an interview with Majorca Daily Bulletin: “You can’t reduce the number of hire cars if you don’t increase public transport. Anything that involves limiting the offer once the tourist has arrived in the destination would lead to greater chaos.
“No firm brings a single car to the islands thinking that it is not going to be hired. In addition, not all hire cars serve tourists, they also serve many residents.”
Visitors are being encouraged to use public transport to visit Soller. A train runs regularly from the island’s capital of Palma, and there’s a tram that runs from the centre to the port, with stops along the beachfront. There are also buses across Majorca, with additional services running in the summer months.
These changes are being implemented amid growing concerns about over-tourism on the Balearic Islands, particularly Majorca, which welcomed 17.8 million visitors last year, including 2.3 million Brits. Rising costs and a shortage of local properties due to holiday lets have sparked protests on the island and other Spanish tourist hotspots like Tenerife.
Visitors to Spain will now face ‘big brother’ rules, requiring them to provide 42 pieces of personal information. Many local councils are also clamping down on illegal holiday lets, introducing strict registration and inspection rules.
It comes after a Jet2 airline boss suggested three ways to help stop the anti-tourist protests on the island.
Jet2 boss Steve Heapy says the best method is to crack down on illegally rented accommodation. There are reportedly at least 7,000 illegal holiday apartments in the Balearic Islands.
Tour firms and holiday businesses say unlicensed accommodation has caused massive “tourist overcrowding”. Mr Heapy reportedly said local government officials should visit Airbnb properties and ask to see a tourism licence, a health and safety certificate and a tax return.
In 2023, around 12.5 million tourists visited Majorca.
