The Formentera Council's mobility office has announced that this Saturday July 1, 2017, will see the start of a pilot programme to regulate access by cars, scooters and other motor vehicles to es Cap de Barbaria's lighthouse. Department head Rafael González says the move is aimed at “stemming bottlenecks along the road and protecting this natural space located on the swath of public land known as Sa Tanca d'allà dins”.

From July 1 to September 15 a barrier will be positioned at Km 6.5 of the road to es Cap de Barbaria. A parking area has been created near the roadside with capacity for 60 cars and 100 motor scooters so that visitors can leave their vehicles and proceed on foot or by bicycle to the lighthouse.

Access for people with reduced mobility
During peak visiting hours, 11.00am to 1.00pm and 6.00pm to 10.00pm, an attendant beside the barrier will allow access to people with reduced mobility and provide visitors with information about the new measures.

The current trial period will lay the groundwork for the path forward in the coming year. The new system, said González, seeks to preserve the landscape and promote sustainable mobility. The goal, González finished by saying, is for people to see excursions to the es Cap lighthouse or the es Garroveret defence tower as “not to be missed, while remaining mindful of our targets in terms of landscape preservation and tranquil tourism”.

The Formentera Council's Office of Mobility has announced that, as of Monday, May 1, the hours of enforcement have changed for metered parking in la Savina. As occurred last year in the run-up to summer's arrival, drivers will be held to a one-day limit on parking (as opposed to three days in winter) unless they reside in la Savina and park in a green-zone space, where the limit is 15 days. Metered hours are once again 9.00am to 9.00pm.

New this year, credit-card payments are accepted and updates have been made to the metres' on-screen layout and ticket format.

The Formentera Council's Office of Mobility has taken the first steps towards creating a sustainable mobility strategy for Formentera. The coming weeks will see the start of a process to solicit bids to execute the plan.

According to infrastructure chief Rafael Gonzalez, the strategic document will define the underpinnings and action necessary for an island where transport methods are more sustainable. Gonzalez indicated the Council would push public transport, cycling and electric vehicles and encourage Formentera's car owners to be sensible about how often they decide to drive.

The current procurement contract for public transport on Formentera expires on December 31, 2018. The sustainable mobility plan will serve as a starting off point for overhauling the service when it is next tendered. The plan will receive roughly €70,000 in financial backing and the Council has five months to produce a draft. The initiative will be brought before Formentera's league of local associations (Consell d'Entitats) to engage the community in the plan's creation.

The Formentera Council Office of Mobility is issuing a reminder to islanders that passes for la Savina's “regulated” street parking must be renewed annually. Department head Rafael González referred drivers to the receipt they got on renewing their pass last time. The current system replaces one which required pass-holders to demonstrate authorisation with a windscreen decal bearing an expiry date. Councillor González said the majority of passes were delivered in February and March.

Anyone wishing to renew his or her annual pass can do so in person at the Citizen Information Office (OAC) or via the office's online platform, OVAC. Last year the Council granted 4,400 individuals and businesses passes, which must be renewed one year after the date of issue.

Hours
According to the councillor, the winter timetable will be in effect through May 1. Under the present system, parking is metered Monday through Saturday from 9.00am to 2.00pm and Monday through Friday afternoons and evenings as well, from 4.00 to 8.00pm. On Sundays and bank holidays parking is free. In winter cars can be left in blue zone spaces up to three consecutive days. In summertime the limit is one day. Pass-holders can park in green zone spaces up to three days in winter. La Savina residents are given 15 days to park in the green zone, in both summer and winter. When the summer timetable comes into force in May, metered parking will be in effect from 9.00am to 9.00pm Monday through Friday.