Spanish island introduces 'residents only zones'

One of most beautiful towns has introduced strict traffic rules that will affect . In Soller, the local council has introduced a "residents only" zone in parts of the town to end the traffic chaos that ensues each summer.

The zone applies to twelve of busiest streets and will ban hire cars from passing through. According to the , Soller Council has put in place a low emission zone across twelve streets. For anyone visiting, this means there will be no hire cars allowed in the very centre of the town, unless they are registered by locals.

Located in the north of the biggest and most popular , Soller suffers from incredibly high numbers of tourists and traffic in the summer, particularly with cars heading for the port.

The new rules mean that may still drive into Soller, but they must park away from the centre and explore on foot.

Pep Porcel, the councillor for mobility, said the aim is to ensure visitors arriving by car "leave them parked at the car parks which will soon be set up next to the Desvio road".

Tourists planning to hire a car in Majorca have been advised to check where they can drive on the island. Driving into one of the new low-emission zones could result in a fine.

Thankfully, Soller is a compact town that is easy to explore on foot. A wood tram service has also been in operation since 1913, running between the town and the port, calling at key sites like the Plaza de España, Avenida Cristòfol Colom, and Sa Torre square.

Tourists can travel between Soller and the port in just 15 minutes for the reasonable price of seven to 10 euros (£5-8).

You can also reach Soller from Palma, the capital, via train, with a return ticket costing 25 euros (just under £21).

This comes as the latest in a string of measures aimed at solving Majorca's crisis. In one of its toughest measures to date, , down from the previous maximum of 70.

In response, travel agencies have threatened to stop bringing tourists to Palma, with the Business Association of Travel Agencies of the Balearic Islands (Aviba) arguing that it believes that this restriction would be "disproportionate" and "nonsensical".

Aviba's president, Pedro Fiol, told : "If this is implemented, you can be sure that we will stop bringing to the city of Palma. Operationally, it would be unfeasible and very costly."

Fiol believes the limit of 20 would make the tours more expensive, and consequently, this means tourists will spend less money, something that will unimpress businesses in the city. He also revealed that the agency was "not consulted" on the proposal, that it was the only measure not included in the draft that was made public and they were not told about it in advance.