Connecting city, coast and the countryside
A PLAN to establish sustainable modes of transport (PMUS) in Orihuela, in order to reduce energy consumption and emissions, and improve quality of life, was approved at the full council meeting last week.
The cost of implementing this plan is estimated at €116 million, which would be eligible for EU subsidies, noted councillor for mobility Luis Quesada.
Although it has to be approved in order to apply for these subsidies, ‘the document has room for improvement’, admitted deputy mayor José Aix, and is on public display for 45 days so that anyone can register suggestions or objections.
The plan is made up of two parts, the first of which diagnoses the current situation and calculates that 45% of journeys in the municipality are made in private vehicles, and the roads in the city are so busy due to a lack of ring roads and car parks on the outskirts.
Furthermore, public transport is lacking as there is no bus service to Orihuela Costa and very few services to the municipality’s rural districts.
Also, more needs to be
done to promote mobility by bicycle and on foot, the text assures.
Based on this diagnosis, the PMUS includes a plan of action including measures to organise traffic, parking, walking, cycling, electric vehicles, goods transport and town planning, as well as measures regarding schools and activity centres, and
signposting of pedestrian and cycle routes.
All these measures would cut emissions by a total of 18%, the authors of the plan calculate.
The town hall has also put a contract out to tender to draw up a plan for cycling to establish an initial draft of where cycle lanes will be created, in order to connect existing ones and create routes between the city, rural districts and coast, explained Sr Quesada.
The contract has an estimated budget of over €46,000 and once all the bids have been studied and a winner chosen, the work is scheduled to take 10 months to complete.