In a recent Plenary Meeting of the Salobreña Town Council the definitive approval of blue-zone parking was passed.

According to the Councillor for Citizen Safety, Mª Carmen Callejón, this new measure was “not only to permit fluid traffic circulation, but also improve the image of the municipality, the quality and use of its beaches and with the monies accrued offset the costs of maintaining it [the summer season extra costs].”

The Mayor explained, “The beach is an area of public domain for the enjoyment of everybody, therefore it should be everybody, and not only the Salobreña residents, that contribute to their maintenance, cleaning and safety.”

Mayor Fernández Pulido said that this measure (blue zoning) had been a demand shared by the residents, with a consensus between social agents and the financial sectors of the town.

The affected streets will be the Paseo marítimo with 604 paying parking places and Avda. del Mediterráneo, with 161. These blue zones will require the installation of 22 ticket expending machines or parking meters.

Blue zoning will only be operative during the high season, from the 22nd of June to the 15th of September, as well as Semana Santa, seven days a week between 10.00h and 21.00h.

The general flat rate will be 60 cents per vehicle per hour and 40 cents for periods of less than an hour. There will also be a rate of three euros for five hours.

Salobreña residents can obtain a monthly ticket for 30 euros, once they have proved that they live along the affected streets. The Mayor considers this ‘special resident pass’ a reasonable price, as well as there being non-paying parking alternatives elsewhere.

The Town Council has yet to choose a private company to run the blue zones and are at the moment going flat out to paint in the blue, broken lines to mark out the parking areas, as well as install the machines and signposting.

(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)