Spain's DGT does not have the means to quickly remove lorries that break down on Malaga motorways

The massive traffic jams that quickly form in the event of a lorry breakdown on Malaga province's motorways could be avoided if the national road traffic authorities (DGT) had their own resources to remove the vehicle. However, as the congestion caused by lorry breakdowns on the Costa del Sol this past week have shown, the process of finding a breakdown truck with the means to remove the vehicle can take hours.

The 40-tonne lorry that broke down on the A-7 motorway around 7pm on Wednesday was not removed until 10am on Thursday morning - after rush hour, which led to a long traffic jam that tested the patience of thousands of drivers.

The protocol for such incidents requires that the Guardia Civil go to the scene and ensure traffic safety. Given the size of lorries, it is often necessary to close off a lane. On busy roads such as the A-7 along the Costa del Sol, congestion is almost guaranteed. Inmaculada Rodríguez spoke to SUR to explain the steps involved in removing a lorry. "The Guardia Civil play a coordinating role. We facilitate the companies that have large breakdown recovery vehicles. We can't do anything else," she said.

It is a process that can take several hours. Moreover, according to several towing companies consulted by SUR, most long-haul companies do not have traffic assistance included in their insurance policies. This means that each removal has to be contracted individually. "They ask for a quote, we give it to them and it takes hours before they give us the green light," an experienced breakdown technician told the newspaper.

Doubts and delays increase when it comes to foreign lorries. From past experience, breakdown companies know that the traceability of a foreign registration number is complicated and increases the risk of non-payment. "There are many times when we perform the service and are either not paid or get paid three years later. It is unfeasible. I don't provide the service if payment is not guaranteed," another driver said.

Breakdown workers believe that one solution would be for the DGT to establish some kind of agreement with towing companies. "In the end, no matter how much you want to, the economic damage of keeping a motorway blocked is greater than the cost of removing the vehicle," they stated.

Official government sources told SUR that the responsibility for removing lorries rests with the haulier, just as no public means are provided for a member of the public to tow their car in the event of a breakdown.