The Popular Party and the Socialist Party have reached an almost complete agreement to approve the new the new law restricting vehicles in Ibiza, which will bewhich will be put to a vote in the Balearic Balearic Parliament this Tuesday, October 29th. The PSOE will vote in favor of the text, as confirmed by the regional deputy Pilar Costa, despite one of the PSOE amendments that sought to exclude from the restrictions the exceptional cases of de facto residents in Ibiza but registered and working in Formentera.
The rejected amendment and the implications for Formentera
The PSOE’s amendment 10797 aimed to exclude from the restrictions the vehicles of people who live in Ibiza but are registered and work in Formentera but “can prove that their effective family domicile is in Ibiza”. This proposal arose as a direct response to the allegations presented by the Consell Insular de Formentera, which highlighted the need to recognize the special interconnection between the two islands. In its document, Formentera warned of the negative impact that a rigid regulation could have on mobility between the islands, especially for residents and workers who depend on this daily link.
The text of the PSOE amendment proposed that, “by virtue of the particular professional, family and commercial relationship between the islands, the vehicles of people registered in Formentera, with professional work in Formentera but who can prove that their effective family domicile is in Ibiza will be exempt from the general limitations of the law”. The PP had proposed a compromise that modified this amendment to extend it to all vehicles of people registered in Formentera. As explained by the popular deputy Jacobo Varela, the parliamentary group has decided not to defend the transaction that also affected residents in Ibiza to circulate in Formentera. “In reciprocity, be excluded from the general limitation of Article 3.1 of Llei 7/2019 vehicles owned by people registered in Ibiza”.
The amendment that will be integrated
The amendment that will be approved is 10833, which states: “The Consell de Ibiza, in coordination with the five town councils of the island, will promote sustainable mobility by promoting a model of public, collective and intermodal transport, which reduces the use of private vehicles and promotes other forms of sustainable transport, without greenhouse gas emissions.” This agreement highlights the transformation of the public transportation network and the creation of bicycle infrastructure, as part of a commitment to reduce environmental impact and move towards decarbonization. The amendment details that “priority will be given to actions aimed at public transport, the bicycle lane network, the protection of vulnerable users on the road network and decarbonization”. It also mentions the need to deploy a “network of electric charging points for vehicles” and to promote “sustainable mobility plans in work and tourist areas”, to be drawn up within a maximum period of two years.
Unides Podemos wants to broaden the scope of the regulation
Beyond the agreement between the PP and PSOE, Unides Podemos insists that the regulation of mobility should not be limited to Ibiza. They propose that the Consell de Mallorca can establish annual or biennial quotas to limit the entry of vehicles and prioritize zero-emission vehicles. In addition, they suggest strengthening non-motorized mobility and public transport in all the islands, proposing a harmonization of regulations to address common environmental challenges in the archipelago.
Expectations for the October 29 plenary session
It is expected that the debate will advance towards the approval of the regulation. The Consell de Ibiza will assume the initial management of the restrictions until the Mobility Consortium, the entity in charge of coordinating sanctions and managing the regulation in the long term, is constituted.