By Natascha Rivera

Copyright euroweeklynews

A MONTH after Albox’s Plaza Mayor has reopened to vehicle traffic, the area has returned to its usual hustle and bustle. The Plaza had been closed due to a clash dating back to the administration of the previous mayor, Francisco Torrecillas, who had banned vehicle entry and renovated the plaza to prioritise pedestrians.

The current administration reopened the Plaza, and made a number of other improvements as well: the storm drains have been improved, as the neighbours living on the surrounding streets had been experiencing inconveniences every time it rained, and a new playground has been installed for the local children to use. Street furniture and plant life has also been improved, in line with the current administration’s, and current mayor of Albox María del Mar Alfonso’s promises.

Traffic reinstated due to a number of incidents

The reasoning for the reinstating of cars in the Plaza was that the traffic had become heavy and a significant safety problem. The traffic needed to be diverted to narrow streets without adequate infrastructure, according to the current local government of Albox, and resulted in numerous incidents. The Plaza also has a variety of popular stores, including supermarkets, that many residents shop at on a daily basis and would like to have their cars for, and offers direct access routes to local schools, the health centre, some districts, and other essential services.. Additionally, the rapidly-growing population of Albox means more cars, more crowding, and more incidents, especially if traffic is being diverted to narrower streets.

It’s notable that the cars will not be able to traverse the Plaza at all hours: traffic is only permitted in the Plaza Mayor from Monday to Friday, from 7:00am to 3:45pm. Every other time, the Plaza is strictly pedestrian-only.

A welcome change?

Notwithstanding, some Albox residents are less than pleased with the new change. “What a terrible idea,” writes one Albox resident. “The whole beauty of the Plaza is to have it pedestrian-only.”

Another local writes that Plaza drivers are misusing parking spaces and speeding. “Already being used as a race track by many drivers oblivious to others and parking while going shopping,” they state.

Whether the new scheduled traffic scheme will work long-term for residents still remains to be seen, but for now, the local government has made vast improvements to other parts of the Plaza infrastructure, and hopes that the improvements will bring a welcome boost to the quality of life of residents.