Almost six years after the suspension of the blue zone, paid parking returns to the streets of Sant Antoni, although with provisions for traders and residents. The measure seems to be more than welcomed by traders, while it generates conerns among residents, especially after a first day with technical failures in the mobile application, some payment machines broken and streets cut because the blue lines were still being painted.
Shortly before noon, drivers arriving at s’Era d’en Manyà found that the parking machine in the plaza was not working. While an operator of Valoriza (the company awarded the contract) tried to solve the problem, Conchi Romero, from Hostal Rosell, found that it was not possible to use the mobile application either.
“They let me enter my credit card number, but they won’t accept the car’s license plate number. On top of that they tell me they will fine me if I don’t display the the ticket,” she lamented. She is not opposed to the payment system and plans to get the card for parking as a business owner in the area, but she finds it “outragous that it has been extended throughout almost the entire town.”
The blue zone regulates a total of 763 spaces and is delimited within the perimeter of Calle Madrid and Avenida Isidor Macabich, Alacant, Ramón y Cajal, Benito Pérez Galdós, Camí General, Antonia Cala, Walter Benjamin and Passeig de la Mar. “I think it’s great that there is a blue zone for traders in the center, but it makes no sense to be in so many streets, unless it is only for tax collection purposes,” said Romero.
“Residents should be able to pay for parking in one go”
Another neighbor, Fran, takes the opportunity to express his anger. “Years ago there used to be a blue zone, but the problem is that now they have included many more streets.” He is fortunate to have private parking, but believes that the discounts for those affected could be improved.
Now, with the payment of 30 euros per year, residents receive a card that allows them to park for free for two hours in the area of their residence [there are two designated areas in the town]. If they exceed that time, they can continue to park for the rest of the day by paying 0.50€. “It would be nice to be able to pay all in one go to park without problems all year round,” proposes Fran.
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