Caves cuts
Vélez moves on
tranvía repairs
As Vélez-Málaga Town Hall prepares to
refurbish the tranvía infrastructure, the
mayor hopes that the incoming
administration in Andalucía will
support its efforts to reopen the public
transport system. The tramway service
between Vélez and Torre del Mar was
closed in 2012 in the face of spiralling
debts.
The entrance charge at Nerja’s famous
caves complex has been reduced by €2 in
off-peak months for a wide range of
visitors. From January to April, excluding
Easter week, and in November and
December, over-65s, children, large
families and the disabled can take
advantage of the deal. The Caves
Foundation says the move is aimed at
increasing off-peak and on-line sales.
Unwelcome visitor
A wild boar was captured in Torrox
Pueblo last month, after running riot
through the town for two hours. The
three-year-old male was tranquilised with
a dart before being transported back to a
remote part of the campo. Residents and
businesses in other towns including
Rincón de la Victoria have complained
about boars entering urban areas and
causing extensive damage in gardens and
green areas.
New bridge
Construction of a footbridge across the
mouth of the Guadalhorce river in Málaga
is expected to begin in the first quarter of
the year, The €1.6 million cost is being
shared between the Provincial
Government and Málaga Town Hall. The
575 metre long bridge will take six months
to complete and will form part of the 200
kilometre coastal walkway being
developed along the entire coastline of the
Costa del Sol.
Important road
A group promoting the importance of the
A-402 road between the Axarquía and
Alhama de Granada has called for help
from the Junta de Andalucía. The mayors
of Vélez-Málaga, La Viñuela, Alcaucin and
Periana, along with those from Alhama
and El Temple in Granada, want
improvements to the link through the
Zafarraya Pass. They say it is of “huge
importance” to the economic
development of the fruit and vegetable
sector of the Axarquía.
However, although the Junta de
Andalucía has publicly pledged to
subsidise the operation of the tranvía
to the tune of 40 per cent, a formal
agreement between the town hall and
the regional government has not been
finalised. Despite this, the mayor of
Vélez, Antonio Moreno Ferrer, says he
is confident that the new
administration, whatever its political
make-up following December’s
regional elections, will continue to
support the system.
Transport councillor Marcelino
Méndez-Trelles appears even more
upbeat. Discussing the possibility of a
right-leaning coalition replacing the
former socialist group controlling
Andalucía, he said this would bring the
opportunity for “even better benefits”
and the possibility of negotiating joint
management of the service.
Meanwhile, the town hall is expected to
continue with plans to invite tenders
for refurbishment of the existing
tramway infrastructure which has a
budget of almost €2 million, half a
million more than originally estimated.
The work will take a minimum of six
months, according to Méndez-Trelles,
so trams will not be running again in
the first half of 2019. The cost is being
met from the €10 million grant
awarded to the municipality by a
European programme, the Strategy for
Sustainable Integrated Urban
Development (EDUSI), and will involve
no local or regional financial input.
Good news for Nerja’s
young sports stars
Improvements to the playing surface at
the José Luis Bobadilla sports stadium
in Nerja have been promised by the
town’s mayor. The undertaking last
month followed complaints from the
municipality’s soccer team and football
school.
The school’s general coordinator
Juanjo Figueroa said that the artificial
surface is in a poor state, partly due to
deficient maintenance. Figueroa also
noted that the turf, installed in 2003,
had an expected life of about ten years,
so should have been changed five years
ago.
Major shortcomings in the area have
been reported including trip hazards,
areas which have sunk as a result of
poor drainage, the lack of perimeter
fences in places and outdated irrigation
systems. A number of youngsters are
reported to have suffered minor
injuries after falling on uneven
surfaces.
The situation became a hot topic on
16
Facebook during December with calls
to find an “immediate solution” for
children “who only want to practice
their sport in good conditions.”
Figueroa added, “We do not want to
see another year pass and be told that
we must now wait until the next
year.”
However, good news has come from
Nerja’s mayor, Rosa Arrabal, who says
that a renovation programme for the
centre is in the town’s budget for 2019.
An invitation to tender for the project,
which has a budget of €300,000, is
expected shortly.
Nerja poll
In Nerja, voting closed just before
Christmas to select three projects
which will benefit the municipality in
2019. Everyone over 16 who has
registered with the town hall was
eligible to take part in selecting from
36 suggestions which have been put
forward. Full details of the selection
process can be viewed at
Nerjadecide.es.