It’s not the same to miss the ferry as to lose it, and it looks like Motril will be losing it. But this is not only a blow for Motril, but for the entire Costa Tropical.

The Central Government is going ahead with subsidizing Málaga and Almería Ports, whilst leaving out Motril. The money is being granted because the Government wants to guarantee ferry communication between Andalucía and the Spanish city of Melilla on the North African coast.

Any ferry company that moves to either of those ports, gets a share of the 20m-euros grant, so understandably Armas ferries, which operates out of Motril, will go where the money is.

Motril Port has tried everything, including proposing that the passenger tickets are subsidized instead of the ferry line, but Madrid doesn’t appear to be listening.

Like as like not, the Armas ferry company operating out of Motril is the town’s biggest company, so to lose it not only means the direct job losses, but also all the secondary trade generated in laundry and catering services, for example, as well as a drop in tourism to the town centre.

In fact, several businesses were thinking about setting up shop in the port because of the growing trade there, but with Armas going, they won’t make the move.

A little history: Málaga and Almería have always thrived whilst Motril was so inconsequential that it was tagged onto Almería Port administration. Finally it gained its administrative independence and has clawed its way up and actually took ferry traffic from both ports.

Now the Central Government’s policy is going to reverse all that.

Armas has already declared that they have been more than happy operating out of Motril and that the passenger figures are more than satisfactory, but other ferry companies will get the competitive edge on them if they are being subsidized and Armas is not.

The new subsidized routes from Málaga and Almeria to Melilla will start running in March, offering cheaper tickets, obviously, than out of Motril.

Editorial comment: the injustice is that tax payers money (amongst it money received from Motril tax payers) is going to be used to the detriment of Motril.

If this PP Government in Madrid wants to subsidize, then the money should be on the ticket, regardless of where the departure port is and on whose ferry the passengers are travelling, but Madrid is deaf to this outcry.

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