Dozens of protesters and cyclists have interrupted for a few minutes the works to dismantle a bike lane on José María Buck street in Elx (Alicante), which connects with the city center, derived from the Mobility policies of the new municipal government formed by PP and Vox.
The protest of the users has been called through social networks and has come to paralyze the action, which has become the second mobilization of these characteristics in Elche, after the recent removal of the bike lane on Juan Carlos I avenue .
The new bipartisan from Elche announced from his inauguration that among his plans was to eliminate both bike lanes for affecting the safety of traffic and pedestrians in the area, as well as maintaining the rest of those that the previous team has opened in recent years. of municipal government, led by the PSPV-PSOE and Compromís.
At mid-morning this Monday, the workers were removing the paint that differentiates the passage space for cyclists when they have been interrupted by protesters.
After calling the Local Police of the town of Elche, work on the road has continued, which is expected to end throughout the week.
The claim has coincided with the celebration of the municipal plenary session of the town hall, where the spokesperson for Compromís and the former councilor for Mobility, Esther Díez, has denounced that the disposal works on José María Buck street were not signposted, that there was no alternative route , as it should exist according to Elche’s sustainable mobility ordinance, and which did not respond to any technical criteria.
For his part, the Councilor for Mobility, the popular José Claudio Guilabert, explained to EFE that these works seek “the safety of both cyclists and pedestrians and drivers”, since they are based on the recommendations of the Local Police.
The police report requested by the PP and Vox on which the action is based determined that the road was not safe since “the location of parking spaces in the center of the road next to the cycling lanes represent a potential danger for the passage of cyclists due to possible opening of the doors of parked vehicles”.
Faced with criticism for these decisions, the person in charge of Mobility has maintained that “we must not do politics with Mobility”, while recalling that the first retired cycle path in Juan Carlos I had been declared a “black spot by the DGT when ten accidents have occurred since January 2022, when that cataloging is obtained when three occur in one year”.
Likewise, the councilor has ensured that new bike lanes will be created, different types will be combined and cycle streets will be introduced, which for Guilabert represents “a good alternative for the cyclist as it has only one lane and cannot be passed”.
