News

Calling all cabbies: applications open for seasonal taxi permits in 2018/2019

Monday, 26 February 2018 15:25

Foto taxi cafesf The Formentera Council's Office of Mobility reports that from last Friday to next (March 9), the administration is accepting applications for seasonal taxi licences on the island.

Applicants must possess a driving licence considered “permanent” and be able to attest at least five months' on-the-job experience in the last five years.

The number of this sort of seasonal chauffeur licence available this cycle has risen from eight in 2016/2017 to ten, a change that will remain unchanged in 2019.

This year and next, five drivers with seasonal permits will be allowed to operate from June 1 to August 31 while the remaining five permit-holders will operate July 1 to September 30. The measure insures that during the busiest months of the year, July and August, an additional ten taxis will join the fleet, which typically numbers 25.

Licences will be awarded by public tender. As a rule, sustainable, or hybrid, vehicles will receive a higher ranking. New cars as well. Explained mobility secretary Rafael González:“The decision to give priority to hybrid cars is a clear indication of our island's commitment to sustainable mobility”.

Formentera locks in 170,000 euros' worth of investments for tech upgrades on public buses

Saturday, 24 February 2018 11:20

Pujada bus The mobility department of the Formentera Council reports that Jaume Ferrer, president of the administration, was joined by Marc Pons, the regional minister of land, energy and mobility, in signing a deal on high-tech upgrades for the island's public buses.

Under the agreement, CTM, a Mallorca-based transport consortium that rigs municipal buses in the Balearics with on-board technical equipment, promises to lend the Council material and oversee upkeep.

The current plan calls for purchase of 12 ticket-vending machines and 36 validation devices, as well as LED info panels, security cameras and communication kits.

The Council and CTM's joint acquisition of the new material means efforts under way in the Balearics to integrate bus fares and rider-info services will become even easier. Buses in the region, moreover, will all be equipped with the same hardware and software.

The measure, in the words of mobility councillor Rafael González, “is about improving the public transport service”. González said the change was occurring alongside preparations for a new transport contract in early 2019 which is purported to mean further improvements to bus service in the region.

Formentera OKs waste management revamp

Friday, 23 February 2018 18:30

Foto ple feb2 When members of the Formentera Council gathered today for the administration's February plenary assembly, the encounter was marked by a successful bid to tweak the guidelines for the contract in place for public rubbish collection and transport of household waste, road cleaning and upkeep of natural spaces.

The change in wording will enable waste collection of plant material from those on the island who are currently generating the most of it. Plenary members hope the modification will help achieve two things. First, that such waste can be made into compost and reused across Formentera's countryside and, second, reduced transport costs that reflect less rubbish shipped to the Ca Na Putxa tip.

Plenary attendees came together in support of proposed guidelines for acció concertada with the Cooperativa del Camp, the island's farmers' co-operative, in 2018. The move is seen as a way to expand efforts already under way to revive local agriculture and beautify rural and other natural spaces. In that spirit and in light of an upsurge that took place last year in the lands the co-operative is charged with stewarding, assembly members agreed to allocate an additional €20,000 to the group's spending allowance.

Other measures
The assembly was also united in support for a Gent per Formentera (GxF) proposal to request islanders be given more robust travel discounts. Plenary members voted to increase the price offset on flights from Eivissa to the Spanish mainland to 75% and to 100% on airport duties).

Broad backing was likewise secured by a number of other measures, such as a proposal to modify use guidelines for the municipal exhibition space (also called the “Ajuntament Vell”), another to recognise three local police officers for thirty years of service, and a third to lend official support to the plea being made in conjunction with March 8, World Women's Day.

Official statement
Assembly members crossed party lines to urge support for the Asociación Española contra el Cáncer's manifesto. Cancer claimed the lives of nine million people in 2015, making it the second cause of death worldwide.

Given the gravity of the problem, members of Formentera's plenary assembly agreed to support the AECC manifesto as well as prevention and eradication efforts that that group and broad segments of society clamour for.

Report
At the end of the gathering, sports secretary Jordi Vidal shed light on the efforts under his watch in 2017. He highlighted progress in one crucial aspect of his department's work: construction of a nautical sports centre on the island. According to Vidal, the facility is a crucial part of what he indicated was the Council's broader goal of “developing a whole basket of activities related to the sea”.

Signups open for course on integration

Friday, 23 February 2018 18:50

Curs dintegracio i reforc 2017 Next Friday, March 2, will mark the close of enrolment for the CiF Office of Social Welfare's course on social and cultural integration. The twice-weekly lessons, set to run March 6-28, will take place in the large classroom of the Formentera adult learning centre and will consist of 20 hours of instruction.

Course content
The classes are mainly geared towards immigrants, particularly those wishing to renew their residence permit, prepare for the CCSE citizenship test or demonstrate integration during the early phases of their stay in Spain.

Topics covered will include Spain's constitutional values, human rights and civil liberties, the Balearic Statute of Autonomy, the European Union and gender equality, among others. Aimed at familiarising students with the various subjects and helping them obtain the associated accreditation.

Council and la Mola seniors group sign partnership

Thursday, 22 February 2018 18:50

Foto conveni centre majors Formentera's Office of Social Welfare reports that administration officials met today with representatives of the senior-citizens group in la Mola to sign a new pact for 2018. The agreement, which sets out the details of the Council's lease of la Mola's administrative and cultural complex la Casa del Poble to the Associació de Majors del Pilar, involves how the space is used and the activities there funded.

Under the agreement, the €30,000 the seniors' group receives from the Council will fund the Casa del Poble's maintenance and services along with costs of promoting and managing activities for local groups and the nearby community in 2018.

The Associació de Majors hasn't just got deep roots in la Mola, it is a not-for-profit group which, since its founding, has played a de facto role as driver of cultural and social events promoting community in the neighbourhood. The Council began officially entrusting the group with those functions in 2016.

Included in the agreement are a space for the Associació's own use as well as a multipurpose hall where local associations can congregate, hold conferences, talks, small-scale concerts and other activities.

Members of the Associació will have keys to the Casa del Poble's computer lab and Council office. Though not included in the lease agreement, the Associació can facilitate their access and use to the Casa del Poble's visitors.

Describing the atmosphere at the Casa del Poble as “enriching for all involved”, Council president Jaume Ferrer highlighted the Associació's role in recent years “driving a vibrant social and cultural atmosphere in la Mola”and “putting the Casa del Poble on the map in terms of local programming and turning it into a meeting place for diverse segments of the population”.

Administration and coordination at the Casa del Poble are the remit of the Formentera Island Council. These are overseen by the appropriate department in line with the associated regulation.