Peace deal at Palma airport

TAXI and minibus drivers in Palma have arrived at an agreement to stop their ongoing dispute at the airport.

Association representatives for both parties in Mallorca met to discuss ways of solving the confrontation and agreed to try out a new passenger collection system that satisfies them both.

Taxi association president Biel Moragues revealed after the meeting that under the new agreement minibus drivers are not allowed to pick up groups of less than five passengers and must focus on groups of five to 19 people.

Moragues added that this initial deal will not solve the problem of the ‘pirate’ transport activity at the airport “but is a big step towards ending it”.

Minibus and taxi drivers had staged several confrontations at Son Sant Joan over previous weeks, with travellers landing at the airport being greeted by crowds of arguing drivers fighting for customers in what Sr Moragues described as “a third-world image” of Palma that was bad for business for everyone.