In the Plenary Meeting of the Town Council on the 11th of March, IU councillor, Fermín Tejero announced that his party had submitted a request for the parking-ticket machines to be made inoperative and locals to be instructed not to pay for parking from the expiration of the blue-zone lease (3rd March) until a new contract is signed or the Town Hall manages the system itself. The request also included instructions for no fines to be issued.”
Since then, the governing party, through Herradura First Councillor, Juan José Ruiz Joya, accused Councillor Tejero of “irresponsibility” for having “somehow” given people to understand that blue-zone parking was now free.
Consequently, Fermín Tejero, who has since “clarified” his party’s proposal, has accused the ruling party of “laxity” as far as this affair is concerned; i.e., not being on the ball (alert/in control).
On the 3rd of December last year, with the lease already concluding, it was extended until the 3rd of March, to give time for a private operator to come forward – none have.
He now says that after consulting the Town Secretary he has been informed that the pay-parking system remains in force and must be respected, under pain of fining, even if the present lease between the Town Hall and the private company that runs the blue zones has expired.
According to the Municipal Secretary, the company must continue to run the parking areas until a new contract is awarded; the present contract is automatically extended until this happens.
Councillor Tejero says he never actually instructed anybody “not to pay,” but had been calling upon the Town Hall “to make the parking machines inoperative or to manage the parking themselves.”
He pointed out that as the Town Hall had not accepted this proposal, any fines levied will be completely legal, although he calls upon the Mayor to be understanding, given the circumstances.
Finally, Councillor Tejero said that the IU would insist on their proposal as the parking arrangement is not an essential service, therefore there is no reason for the existing contract to be extended to fill the gap, so to speak.
Basically what the IU wants is for the blue zoning to be publicly run and are not calling for the blue zoning to disappear and free parking reign. The IU considers that putting the management in private hands is actually more expensive for the citizenry than be publicly run.
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)