Junta cuts back budget for improving infrastructures in Almeria

THE Junta de Andalucia has announced that it will only carry out “basic projects” in Almeria and the rest of the region due to the lack of money.

While the Junta has said that the budget assigned to ‘social’ projects, health and education will remain almost the same, plans to improve the region’s infrastructures will remain on hold to alleviate public debt.

The Councillor for Taxes and Public Administration, Carmen Martinez Aguayo, has announced that the Public Works and Housing department will get just €609 million for the whole of Andalucia, less than other departments such as Environmental and Agricultural.

Meanwhile, Almeria City Hall is demanding a report from the Junta de Andalucia regarding plans for installing a tram service in the city.

They wish to know estimated user numbers, necessary routes, equipment and all other details to determine how much it is going to cost to run what is the most important project for metropolitan transport in Almeria.

The project was first suggested in 2008, to create a route between Las Almadrabillas and Torrecardenas, but neither the city hall nor the Junta de Andalucia have mentioned yet how much it would cost, although figures would run up into the millions.

The Junta, meanwhile, has said the project will only go ahead if the City Hall can pay for the upkeep.

The provincial delegate for the Junta, Maribel Requena, said that the project was initially suggested before the financial crisis, but that now, although Almeria should not have to renounce a sustainable means of public transport, they should think very carefully about whether or not the tram is the best option.

In other cities such as Jaen and Velez-Malaga in Malaga province, the tram has been introduced at a great cost and then the local administrations have been unable to pay for their upkeep or found it has not been used as much as they had expected.

 

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