The Consell de Formentera is preparing its first specific survey for residents to find out how people living on the island view Formentera.eco, the system that regulates vehicle access, circulation and parking during the high season.

The consultation was announced on September 16 as part of the island's Setmana de la Mobilitat programme. The aim is to add residents' experiences and perceptions to the mobility data already collected by the Consell.

Residents Will Be Asked About Vehicle Saturation

The new survey will focus specifically on people who live on Formentera.

Questions will cover the regulation of vehicle access, circulation and parking, as well as residents' perception of traffic and the level of vehicle saturation on the island.

The Consell says the intention is to understand how the system is experienced by people who live and travel around Formentera regularly, rather than assessing it only through the number of vehicles authorised to enter.

First Resident Survey of Formentera.eco

Formentera already collects feedback from visitors through its annual occupancy and mobility surveys.

This year, visitors have also been asked whether they were familiar with Formentera.eco, alongside questions about the availability and quality of the island's public bus service.

The new resident survey will add a separate source of information from people living on Formentera throughout the year.

Consell Wants More Information Before Future Decisions

Mobility councillor and vice-president Verònica Castelló said the administration does not want to evaluate Formentera.eco only through vehicle-access figures.

The stated objective is to combine the existing mobility data with residents' views before making future decisions about the system or considering possible improvements.

The consultation is therefore intended as an additional source of evidence rather than a vote on whether Formentera.eco should continue.

More Than 46,000 Applications Processed

The announcement comes as Formentera.eco approaches the end of its 2026 operating period.

As of September 15, the system had processed 46,669 vehicle authorisation applications. Of these, 39,880 had been accepted, 5,202 rejected and 1,587 were either incomplete or still awaiting documentation.

The system applies from June 1 through September 30, 2026.

Residents of Formentera Account for Thousands of Authorisations

Among the accepted applications were 11,244 authorisations for residents of Formentera.

There were also 7,916 accepted authorisations for tourist vehicles. Residents of Ibiza received 6,066 vehicle authorisations and 1,181 motorcycle authorisations.

Businesses based in Formentera accounted for a further 2,286 authorised vehicles, while 1,846 were linked to companies with workplaces on the island or businesses involved in transporting goods.

Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Included

The figures also show the number of authorisations connected with lower-emission vehicles.

Up to September 15, the Consell had accepted 619 authorisations for electric tourist cars, 2,254 for hybrid vehicles and 20 for electric motorcycles.

These figures are part of the wider mobility data the administration is using to assess how vehicles move around the island.

Public Transport Also Part of the Mobility Strategy

The announcement of the resident survey came alongside an update on Formentera's public transport system.

Between January and July 2026, the island's bus network carried 167,714 passengers, compared with 194,850 during the same period in 2025. The 2026 figure was nevertheless above the totals recorded during the equivalent periods in 2024 and 2023.

The Consell says it has increased bus frequencies and introduced fare reductions for residents and other groups as part of its effort to make public transport a more practical alternative to private vehicles.

New Transport Card Gains Thousands of Uses

The new Targeta de Transport has also been introduced as part of the island's efforts to modernise public transport.

By September 14, 2,454 cards had been issued, with 65,620 validations and 28,743 journeys recorded using the cards.

The Consell says the additional data generated by the card system can help identify where improvements to the bus network may be needed.

Pedestrian Speed Displays Added

The mobility programme also includes new road-safety measures.

The Consell has installed four educational speed displays, two on Avenida Joan Castelló i Guasch in Sant Ferran and two on Avenida de la Mola.

Their purpose is to make drivers more aware of their speed and encourage safer driving in the two areas.

What Formentera.eco Actually Does

Formentera.eco is the island's system for regulating vehicle access, circulation and parking during the peak season.

For 2026, the period runs from June 1 to September 30, with a maximum of 10,287 motor vehicles permitted under the system's various quotas.

The scheme was created under Balearic Law 7/2019 on the environmental and economic sustainability of Formentera and is intended to help manage the impact of vehicle traffic on the island.

Residents Will Now Have Their Say

The forthcoming survey gives Formentera residents a direct opportunity to assess how the vehicle regulation system affects daily life on the island.

The Consell says the consultation will help answer questions that raw vehicle figures cannot, including how residents perceive traffic saturation and which aspects of Formentera.eco they believe could be improved.

The survey will be made available through the Consell de Formentera's Transparency Portal, adding residents' views to the mobility statistics already being collected.

Formentera.eco remains in operation until September 30, while the new resident feedback exercise is intended to provide additional information for the decisions that will follow the 2026 season.