The Metropolitan Transport Strike Intrudes on Alicante's City Council Meeting

The transport strike that disrupted mobility this Thursday in the L'Alacantí region also reached the May municipal plenary session of Alicante City Council. The PSOE, on one side, and Compromís and Esquerra Unida Podem, on the other, presented two institutional declarations to request the creation of a Metropolitan Transport Authority in Alicante.

The proposal was first defended by the workers' committee of the concessionaire. The union representative Paco Gallego stated that this initiative is not "a whim," but rather "metropolitan transport is on the verge of collapse, and those who should ensure the service are looking the other way."

Gallego emphasized that the integrated model - like in other cities such as Valencia - "benefits the general interest" and demanded its implementation before the current service extension expires. "Otherwise, we are headed towards a chaotic scenario," he highlighted. Workers halted 21 vehicles this Thursday due to alleged safety violations, causing minimum services to start later.

From Compromís, Sara Llobell argued that this EMT is essential "to connect Alicante with its closest surroundings, it is something simple and common sense." The councillor also pointed out that this entity would "ensure that workers have decent and fair conditions." "Only political will is needed," she concluded.

Meanwhile, from EU-Podem, spokesperson Manolo Copé highlighted that this EMT model is already operating in other cities and is key "to having an interconnected region." "We aim for transport to be a social right, and the strike is a clear symbol of the exhaustion of the current model," he argued.

From the PSOE, Emilio Ruiz defended that other municipalities, such as San Juan, have also approved the establishment of this entity. The councillor emphasized that its creation could access state funding. "We have lines that are overcrowded, the extended map from 2014 no longer resembles the territory," he stressed.

On the other hand, from the right, Vox, through councillor Carlos Castillo, argued that although they support the workers' demands, they consider this conflict "an inheritance of their management in the Generalitat over eight years." "The solution is not to create more infrastructures but to remove administrative inefficiency," the councillor insisted.

Popular councillor Carlos De Juan delved into this argument and criticised the left for the lack of action in this regard during the Botànic. "There is no need to create a new million-dollar entity to coordinate; the TAM network has a great reach." The councillor announced that the new license is already being prepared. Additionally, he announced that from June 21, lines 21, 23, and 24 will have reinforcements.

Finally, the proposal was rejected with votes against from PP and Vox (18) and in favour of PSOE, Compromís, and EU-Podem (11). The rejection sparked outrage in the Blue Hall, where several dozen drivers followed the debate closely. From the audience, they heckled the opposing votes with shouts.