Parking side-swap stops in some towns

TWO towns in La Safor have confirmed on-street parking changeovers will not happen during the lockdown – a move which is likely to spread to other parts of the region.

Gandia and Tavernes de la Valldigna are among many towns where cars are parked on alternate sides of narrow roads according to dates.

Sometimes, these go by 'meses par' and 'meses impares' – even-numbered months and odd-numbered months – meaning Wednesday would have seen parking spaces swap sides, whilst others switch from days 1-15 of a month and from days 16-31, or every six months.

Many others only change over annually – as is the case in Oliva - meaning chaos on New Year's Day as residents forget to move their cars because they are at home during the bank holiday.

The idea is that homeowners on one side of a street do not permanently have parked cars outside whilst their opposite neighbours are always free from them.

Both these towns say no changes will be made on which side of the road to park in during the quarantine period, and carowners will not be fined for failing to move their vehicles.

This is to avoid people leaving their houses – especially as the car-moving exercise may well happen all at once, bringing high numbers of people into contact with each other.

Anyone living in another town who habitually leaves their car on roads where parking swaps over fortnightly, monthly or sixmonthly should check with their town hall if a 'moving date' is imminent, since it is likely many others will waive the rules.