The Formentera Council has set the wheels in motion on a process to bring the total number of parking attendants for the newly-implemented system of regulated parking in La Savina to nine. All those interested have through 7 April to apply at the Virtual Citizens' Office (l'OAC) in order to be considered for selection. Requirements for hire can be found on the Formentera Council website www.cif.cat by clicking on “bulletin board” and following the link for human resources.

As the offer overlaps with Holy Week holidays, interested individuals will have two days to apply: next Saturday, 4 April, and Tuesday 7 April, from 9am to 2pm.

The three attendants currently employed for the task were hired in February, at which time the process was overseen by the SOIB (Servei d'Ocupació de les Illes Balears), the job placement service of the Balearic Islands. At that time it was announced that six additional positions would soon be made available, the hiring for which would be handled directly by the Council itself.

Parking metres now in use

The first of April marked the beginning of a new phase in the implementation of La Savina's regulated parking system. Starting today, attendants will patrol the area to ensure all drivers that park in blue zone spaces have obtained the required ticket from parking metres and placed it visibly in their vehicle. As for users of green zone parking areas, they have until 10 April, at which point attendants will begin checking to ensure observance.

The Formentera Council's office of transport announced today that a new round of exams to obtain the municipal permit required of taxi drivers will take place 22 April. Registration will be open from 13 march to 1 April  at the Citizen Information Office (la OAC) in Sant Francesc Xavier.

To be eligible, candidates must have successfully completed secondary or higher education and possess a licence for drivers of public transport (BTP). Further details can be consulted at the Council's website, www.cif.cat.

This morning at the Formentera Council, a meeting was celebrated by the Junta de Portaveus, a group of spokespersons of the different political organisations on the island. The junta arrived at the unanimous decision to begin drafting a proposal that will go before the Balearic Islands parliament with the objective of waging an entry tax on vehicles coming to Formentera.

Present at the gathering were Jaume Ferrer, president of the Formentera Council, and spokespersons of the political groups with representation in the local administration. The list included Sònia Cardona from Gent per Formentera, José Manuel Alcaraz from Partido Popular, Santi Juan from PSOE and Javi Serra from Grup Independent de Formentera (GUIF).

The junta is a deliberative body of Formentera's political groups, stipulated within the administration's code of regulations, and having the function of adopting positions on general interest issues.

The day's gathering transpired as per the debate that took place at the Consell d'Entitats (council of local organisations), at which juncture it was decided not only that resources would be dedicated to abating the oversaturation of vehicle traffic affecting the island at different points throughout the year, but also that this action would be achieved by means of a tax on vehicle entry. The session served to organise the different tasks that will be necessary in order to bring the proposal before the Balearic Parlament. It will in turn fall within the remit of the parliament to authorise Formentera to administer the vehicle tax.

Biweekly meetings

Meeting attendees agreed on creating a working group composed of the following members: the president of the Formentera Council, one representative from each political party, the transport councillor of the local administration, a representative of the Consell d'Entitats and Council secretary Àngel Navarro, who will act as chief of the group's technical operations.

In addition, the decision was made to permit group members to attend gatherings in the company of secondary advisers and the door was also opened to the use of external consultation if deemed necessary. The meetings will be held once a fortnight. The first gathering of the working group was thus scheduled for 10 March. In consideration of the approaching end of the current legislative session, the political parties agreed that whatever the result of the upcoming May elections, the group would move forward until completion of the proposed work.

As of this Monday, 2 February, the Formentera Council will begin to roll out the newly-devised system of regulated parking in La Savina. The OAC (or Citizen Information Office), located in Sant Francesc, has already begun to distribute decals which will accredit vehicle-owners with island residency. The Council has indicated that drivers will have at least the entire month of February in order to collect the adhesive stickers.

On this first day of distribution, employees of the information office dispensed the decals to La Savina residents who had come to request them in person. People from other corners of the island were submitted to a simple verification of documentation, ensuring that the papers they had brought were in order. The hope is that employees of the OAC will gradually in this way be familiarised with the procedures and material involved in this relatively new project.

To obtain the decal, drivers are asked to visit the Citizen Information Office in possession of DNI (national ID card) and, if the person requesting the decal is also the owner of the car, vehicle documents. Otherwise, the applicant must present documentation from his insurance company proving that he is also the habitual driver. Workers at information office will check to ensure the applicant is listed on municipal registers ('empadronat') and that the vehicle is registered in Formentera. If these two criteria are met, a decal will be delivered on the spot.

New parking attendants

In addition to the primary changes, the La Savina parking overhaul will be accompanied by another altogether new apparition: parking officers charged with ensuring compliance with the new system. Three parking attendants, chosen from a list of 32 who applied, have already begun informational outreach campaigns and preparation of protocol. New parking metres will be installed across the town in the coming days  and the parking officers will receive special training to prepare for equipment operation. Last Friday, a four-hour training class served to instruct these new employees to correctly address different resident inquiries regarding specifics of the new system.