The Safety and Health Committee of La Alcoyana Reports 'Serious Deficiencies' in Buses

The Company Committee of La Alcoyana, the bus concessionaire in the L'Alacantí region, has once again reported on Monday what they consider to be 'serious deficiencies' that compromise the safety of workers and users. The safety and health committee conducted an inspection of the company's facilities on Monday to check the condition of the buses that were introduced this June to increase frequencies for the summer.

According to this body, the inspection revealed issues such as broken front windows, expired fire extinguishers, doors without anti-trap safety systems, or tires in poor condition. Additionally, there were other concerns such as failures in the schedule integration system or alterations in emergency exits to allow for advertising placement.

For the company committee, these facts are 'extremely serious' and they find it unacceptable that vehicles in such conditions are put into service. Last Thursday, during the strike day, the pressure from the company committee delayed the start of service after finding deficiencies in about twenty vehicles.

The Company Committee has demanded that the company immediately rectify all detected deficiencies, that no vehicle be allowed to depart unless it complies with current regulations, and that responsibilities be clarified.

"We will not tolerate putting the safety of drivers or citizens at risk. Automóviles La Alcoyana S.A. has the legal and moral obligation to ensure that its entire fleet strictly meets safety requirements," they stated in a communiqué. "For everyone's safety: zero tolerance for unsafe buses," the Safety and Health Committee of La Alcoyana demanded.

Last Thursday, May 29th, marked the first day of the strike that La Alcoyana drivers have scheduled for the last Thursday of each month until September. The next event will coincide with the Hogueras de San Juan festivities, during which drivers have again called for stoppages and protests.

The strike will extend until the end of summer and will become indefinite from September 8th if no agreement is reached. Union sources also indicate that various demonstrations and actions will be carried out during these strikes in front of the Department of Transport and the Alicante Transport Coordination Office (TAM). In fact, they announce that "mobilisations will be maintained and expanded as long as real and effective measures are not adopted."

The Company Committee states in a communiqué that the decision is made "in light of the severe deterioration of the service caused by the inaction of the competent public administrations and the responsibility of the concessionaire." Workers denounce "the continuous extensions of the bidding process since 2014" and assert that the service "is calculated well below actual demand, causing a progressive collapse."