Demands for speedy solutions to end A-7 traffic jams between Malaga and eastern stretch of Costa del Sol

Mayors, councillors and other representatives from 30 town halls across Malaga province met on Wednesday 18 September for the second Foro Málaga Metrópolis Global (Malaga global metropolis forum) at the city council's Salón de los Espejos, this time focusing on the transport challenges of the greater Malaga area.

Algarrobo, Alhaurín de la Torre, Alhaurín el Grande, Almáchar, Álora, Antequera, Árdales, Benalmádena, Cártama, Casabermeja, Casarabonela, Colmenar, Comares, El Borge, Fuengirola, Guaro, Iznate, Málaga, Manilva, Marbella, Mijas, Moclinejo, Monda, Nerja, Ojén, Rincón de la Victoria, Torremolinos, Totalán, Valle de Abdalajís and Vélez Málaga were represented at the meeting and a further 10 have collaborated in the project.

Issues on the table included improvements needed to the city's Muelle Heredia and Los Tilos bus stations, as well as the need to fully integrate prices and services within the framework of the transport consortium, and the lack of park-and-ride facilities to encourage people to leave their private vehicles on the outskirts of towns and cities. The increase in timetables and frequencies, given the demographic challenges of the province was also on the agenda.

In addition, concern was expressed about the high levels of traffic and traffic jams on the Guadalhorce motorways, the A-7 east, the MA-21 and the old N-340 and the western ring road.

Participants also discussed the need to expand the province's low emission zones; more pedestrian and bicycle connections between Malaga and the metropolitan area; the unification of municipal regulations for scooters, and the lack of bicycle parking spaces. And, of course, better connections between municipalities.

Working groups were proposed to look at by-laws, projects, tendering processes, low emissions and improved connections between towns and the city. All these groups want to be present on key issues such as the extension of the coastal train.

Mayor of Malaga city Francisco de la Torre admitted the difficulty of providing short-term answers to transport problems. "We all want our residents to be able to move around, inside and outside the city. There are 65,000 people who travel within the metropolitan area every day and we have to make sure that more and more of them use public transport," he said.

The mayor highlighted the problem of traffic jams, for example, on the dual carriageway between Rincón de la Victoria and Malaga city. For this issue he called for speedy solutions.

The representative of the Andalusian regional government in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, valued the importance of the issue as it affects people's daily lives: "I speak today not only as a delegate but also as a Malaga resident" who experienced the "regular traffic jams between the A-7 east and the city during the summer". She added, "The demographic scenario, with rapid and exponential growth, demands answers".