Joshua Parfitt
ALICANTE has joined Spain’s major cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga in cutting speed limits to 30 km/h on one-way and single-carriageway streets in a bid to reduce road accidents.
The move follows last year’s orders from the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) to apply the measures in every Spanish city.
DGT figures showed that traffic accidents in Barcelona plummeted by ‘40%’ after the Catalonian capital enforced the new rules.
Spain is one of ‘very few’ EU countries to approve the measures suggested by the EU-wide City 30 initiative.
Alicante follows in the footsteps of Valencia city’s enforcement in June this year, becoming the 2nd city in the Valencian Community to be a City 30.
Councillor for Mobility and Traffic, José Ramón Gonzále, said: “Making the streets more friendly for pedestrians will reduce accidents, reduce noise, air pollution and fossil fuel consumption.”
It comes as the Town Hall intends to complete its long-time project to pedestrianise the entire city’s old town, form Avinguda Dr Gadea to the Castel de la Santa Barbara.
