In the end, it will be a third “at most” of the total cost of the project that the Spanish Government, through the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, undertakes to contribute for the expansion of the tram line in the city of Murcia to the Carmen railway station, and which, according to the City Council, will have state financing of 32 million euros. The headquarters of the Ministry, in Madrid’s Paseo de la Castellana, has been the scene this Monday afternoon of the signing of the protocol between the mayor of Murcia, José Antonio Serrano, and the Secretary of State for Transport, David Lucas.
The mayor had announced last December, in an interview with LA VERDAD, that the ministerial contribution could be around 20-25 million euros, and this Monday morning, he even ventured that it could reach 30 million. In the end it would be, if this budget calculation is maintained, a contribution of just over 32 million euros.
Related News
The protocol will be valid for one year, extendable by agreement of the parties, and will require the subsequent signing of an agreement that develops and specifies its content. The object is “to capture the will to collaborate” to develop the project.
The Secretary of State has conveyed to the councilor his satisfaction with the collaboration between both administrations, at the same time that he has specified that this project “will be a continuation of the success that the tram has proven to be in the city of Murcia, a modern transport solution and sustainable that has improved the mobility and quality of life of its citizens, which has meant that the city has reduced traffic congestion, improved connections and travel times between neighborhoods and reduced the emission of greenhouse gases in the city”, reports from the Ministry.
Protocol details
The Ministry, “within its policy to promote rail transport and sustainable mobility”, has considered it of interest to collaborate in the development of this project, in which it will collaborate to define the most appropriate connection with the rail mode and will participate in the financing of the works, contributing, at most, up to a third of the estimated amount thereof, add the same sources.
The Murcia City Council will be responsible for the development of the project in its entirety (design, construction, conservation and exploitation phases).
The establishment of the tramway in the city of Murcia has meant a very important advance to improve its mobility. With its current configuration with Line 1 with a total length of 28 km, in service since May 2011, it solves the mobility of the northern area of the city through its two large residential development axes, such as Juan Carlos Avenue. I and Juan de Borbón Avenue. In addition, the shuttle from the “Los Rectors” Urbanization to the UCAM, in the district of Guadalupe, creates a tram axis that serves to partially structure urban transport in the western areas of the municipality.
In accordance with the city’s Mobility Strategy, its extension from the Plaza Circular to the Carmen neighborhood and its connection with the rail mode will structure the city’s mobility between the north and south zones and between the neighborhoods on both banks of the river Safe. In addition, it will improve commercial areas and general activity, reduce traffic congestion, and improve environmental quality.
Opposition criticism
The Popular Group criticized “the electoral stench” of the latest PSOE announcements about the tram. For the PP spokeswoman, Rebeca Pérez, the promises “constitute a true deception for the Murcians and an insult to their intelligence, since they do not have any criteria or technical endorsement.” Pérez stressed that the PSOE option “lacks financing, route, economic feasibility study and environmental impact study, in addition, the Socialists have not counted on the neighbors either.”
Elvira Medina, candidate for mayor of Murcia for Podemos, also criticized the protocol, indicating that “as long as Serrano does not clarify where the 50 million that the City Council must put will come from, all this is smoke.” And she added, for this reason, she explains, “there is no date for the start of the works, nor is there any technical study”.
#Government #agrees #contribute #million #expansion #Murcia #tramway