Today, Tuesday 22 September, the Formentera Council's office of transport feted European Car Free Day. All day long, to mark the occasion, ticket requirements were waived on bus lines 1 and 2 and —as transport councillor Rafael González explained— this morning organisers pitched an exhibition of electric vehicles at the plaça de la Constitució in Sant Francesc.

Promoting a sustainable island
González declared that the goal of the two actions had been to «strive for sustainable transport on the island, and to make this something that sets us apart». The dimensions of Formentera, said the councillor, «make it the ideal island for the promotion of these kinds of vehicles, which are increasingly feasible».

«This is exactly why the administration has long been behind the effort to promote their use», he elaborated. González highlighted some of the advantages of electric cars: parking in blue and green zones of la Savina and access to the Parc Natural de Ses Illetes that are both free of charge, as well as a 75% reduction on the local circulation tax.

Network of recharge points
In due form, the Formentera Council has built up a network of 12 electric vehicle recharge stations, scattered across the different urban centres of the island. With the totality of the costs met by the administration, the stations allow 28 drivers to charge their automobiles completely free.

The day's exhibition of electric cars and scooters enjoyed the participation of two of the three Formentera businesses that have made important investments in sustainable transport, Cooltra and Europcar. Also on display were an electric scooter from the Formentera Local Police vehicle fleet and an electric bicycle available to Council staff. Residents and tourists alike were given the opportunity to get a close-up look at how the two vehicles work.

Today marked the first official visit to Formentera by Joan Boned, regional minister of town and country planning, energy and transport for the Govern Balear. Right off the boat, Secretary Boned joined Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer on a visit of the island's power plant. A meeting followed at the CiF main office that was attended by the Council's town and country planning and tourism councillor, Alejandra Ferrer, councillor of infrastructure and transport Rafael González and environment councillor Daisee Aguilera. The meeting was also attended by the Govern Balear's director general of energy and climate change, Joan Groizard.

Meeting with residents of Es Ca Marí neighbourhood
After the encounter in Sant Francesc, the regional minister met with residents of Es Ca Marí to discuss the problem of excessive noise at the nearby power station, an issue which had also been central to the morning gathering of administration officials. Jaume Ferrer explained that now more than ever “Formentera is hanging on by a thread”, referring to last week's rupture of one of two electric cables linking Eivissa with Formentera. Officials of the Council stressed their concern with regard to the precariousness of the island's power station. While acknowledging the absence of easy solutions to the problem, Secretary Boned committed to “working together with residents of the neighbourhood and the local administration to resolve the issue”.

IBAVI information desk in Formentera
Another assurance made by the Govern minister regarded the imminent creation of an information desk to address the housing issues of locals, whether that meant simply answering basic questions or—when possible—helping Formenterencs avoid travelling to other islands to complete formalities. Over the course of the day's encounter the Council also voiced its request that a Govern-drafted report on maritime transport set minimum frequencies and maximum prices for ferry journeys between Eivissa and Formentera. The Council also used the occasion to petition for improvements to public ground transport. Finally, officials spoke about the work that remained in order to permanently dissolve the Consorci Formentera Desenvolupament, or Formentera Development Consortium.

The town and country planning, energy and transport minister expressed his intention to create a calendar for the resolution of the different issues and “determine the working groups necessary to solving them as soon as possible”.

According to the Formentera Council's office of transport, as of today's date 3,532 residents have received the decal/pass that permits its holder to park in la Savina. Blue decals—for Formentera residents—have been distributed to 2,951 drivers; 223 drivers have received the green decal specifically for residents of la Savina; and 358 parking passes have been delivered to drivers of company vehicles.

The office also reported that 1 June would be the final day of the ticketless warning period. After that date, any infraction of the established regulations will be met with a ticket and accompanying fine. Until now, fines had only been issued to repeat parking offenders or drivers with long-stay parking infractions.

Council representatives have hailed the increased availability of parking that followed the new system's March implementation. The Formentera Council wishes to remind any drivers without residency in Formentera—and thus ineligible for free regulated parking—that they have a 110-space car park at their disposition opposite the Illes Pitiüses park, and on the Estany des Peix-side, of la Savina. The Council also wishes to remind drivers that electric vehicles are exempt from blue zone payment requirements and that from 12 midnight to 9 a.m., parking in all blue zones is free.

Next Friday, 1 May, will represent another step forward in the progressive implementation of regulated parking in La Savina. On that day meter attendants and parking meters will adopt the summer time table, which allows a maximum of 24 consecutive hours in a parking spot (in winter this increases to three days). The summer schedule will continue through the end of October.

Payment of tickets

Another important change on the 1st: anyone who has yet to affix the resident's decal must from that day pay to obtain a meter-printed ticket. Till now, during what has been an adaptive trial period, a parking meter would issue a ticket to a driver regardless of whether or not he was a resident, and this carried no cost. Starting 1 May, to obtain a free parking ticket in La Savina, a driver must possess a residents' card (demonstrating residence in either La Savina or Formentera), a card for business vehicles or one for electric vehicles. More information can be obtained on the aferraliaparca.com website.

Dissuassive car park

Yet another change on 1 May: a partial opening of the new 2,778-sq.-m. car park at the entry to La Savina, across the street from the Illes Pitiüses park. The lot will provide 103 standard size spaces and 10 spaces for large capacity vehicles up to 10 metres. The spaces at that car lot are open to any vehicle, decal or no, for three-day stays max.