Costa Blanca

Alicante’s Low Emissions Zone

Unlike in other cities, Alicante’s downtown will not see new limits on private car circulation as a result of the ZBE’s adoption. With the installation of numerous environmental sensors and surveillance cameras, however, the municipal government team guarantees that it will enable better management of atmospheric pollutant volumes in real time.

Sensors for the environment

There is no significant pollution problem in Alicante. Actually, out of all the major cities in Spain, several studies have found that ours is the cleanest. Still, we’re taking a number of targeted steps to bring it down even further. Our new infrastructure will be a huge boon, says Manuel Villar, our deputy mayor and environmental sustainability councillor.

The city’s Benalúa Market, Bullring, José Rico Pérez stadium, Station, and General Hospital are among the locations where fourteen sensors have been set up. When these readings reach dangerously high levels, the City Council will be able to take action, including temporarily shutting down traffic, based on the data.
Typically, the haze that occasionally originates from the Sahara is the culprit responsible for the most severe pollution incidents that Alicante experiences, rather than cars. But we haven’t gotten particularly extreme in recent years, and I don’t see the need to do something drastic. According to the deputy mayor, “at least we’ll have objective data to act objectively” now.

Cameras that record

To further keep an eye on traffic, new video surveillance cameras have also been set up. Although optical cable has been laid that might encompass as many as 300 recording devices, only about 100 have been operational so far.
“These cameras will not be used to fine drivers, but rather to provide us with information that will allow us to improve mobility in the city and to redirect traffic flows in order to reduce traffic congestion,” Villar points out.
Officially, the ZBE encompasses the Old Town, the Traditional Centre, and Gran Via, which together form three rings. Finally, this final zone will implement traffic limits in the same manner that they have done since 2011. So, these streets are off-limits to everyone save residents, garage owners, and employees. Sanctions will be implemented, and fines will shortly be increased.
Fines for cars that don’t follow the ZBE’s rules have been increased, according to a deal struck by the Federation of Municipalities. According to the Alicante traffic ordinance, they are currently around 80 euros, but Villar tells us they will likely climb to around 200 euros.
Greater urban density
The sea wind certainly helps Alicante’s air quality, which typically scores well on quality assessments; however, our city’s population has been growing at a large rate for a number of years.
We had 328,000 registered users a decade ago, and by the end of 2024, we had 359,000. Thanks to this change in population distribution, we are now the tenth most populous city in Spain, above Bilbao.
Even though there are more people living here and more cars on the road, pollution levels in Alicante have been rather constant in recent years. Pedestrianisation and lane reductions are two examples of the effective actions we have taken to reduce traffic on different streets. According to Villar, this is the path that we intend to take moving forward.

The Town Hall Area streets of Jorge Juan and Rafael Altamira will not be part of the pedestrianisation of the Town Hall Square.
Regarding this matter, it was recently declared by Mayor Luis Barcala that the Town Hall Square will be pedestrianised. It was indeed this very situation last autumn, when the Town Hall building’s façade collapsed, closing the street for weeks and forcing the closure of operations.
The city can keep running even without this traffic, thanks to this terrible occurrence. Also, the Councillor for Environmental Sustainability notes that town hall squares are usually not a common site for cars to circulate, both in Spain and elsewhere.
The project’s pedestrianisation will be limited to the area within the square; streets like Jorge Juan and Rafael Altamira will still be accessible for vehicles. Considering the bus routes that pass through this area, the next step is to do the necessary investigations to identify other transportation options. It is the expectation of the City Council that the works can commence by the year’s end and be finished in 2026.

Additional methods

Furthermore, we are assured by the government team that additional measures would be implemented to further decrease pollution levels.
All of the buses will soon be electric or hybrid models. Furthermore, we strive to enhance the tree cover and pavement size in every project we do. The deputy mayor assures us that, in addition to cars, they will promote the usage of scooters and bicycles.

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Costa Blanca

Knife fights and beatings: Villajoyosa residents lash out at gangs

The juvenile gangs of Villajoyosa are persistent, which has once again caused concern among certain residents of the municipality. In recent days, they have been observed engaging in fights, vandalising vehicles, and stealing, with some of the incidents involving knives.

Videos of these organisations, which were established by young individuals from the municipality, are currently being shared on social media. They exhibit their members engaging in fights that resemble genuine pitched battles and damaging vehicles.

The town’s residents have disclosed their experiences on social media platforms and have denounced the increasing insecurity that has invaded specific regions of the town.

In the past few days, a gang from La Vila and another from Benidorm have engaged in a confrontation. The video captures the dispute, in which a number of young people are observed striking another individual with punches and knees while they are on the ground.

Another of the most sensational videos is that of two other young people in what appears to be a struggle with a large knife in the Pati Fosc park, which is located just a few metres from the CEIP Mare Nostrum.

These groups have had a particularly severe impact on this neighbourhood, as they have been known to smash vehicle windows, empty fire extinguishers, hurl rocks at windows, and pull down shutters on businesses. This has caused fear among residents and shopkeepers.

The Villajoyosa Neighbourhood Group (GVV), a political party that was established by the merger of numerous neighbourhood groups, has spoken out and shared a series of recordings to condemn the situation.

Residents share their experiences and urge action in the posts.

“Enough of this selfless behaviour. I have been apprehensive about walking the dog since before the end of the year, as I arrive home from work at night. This town is a high-quality tourist attraction and is characterised by its stunning beauty. One resident laments, “The consequences of failure to act are always negative, even for good people.” “Nothing will occur until the death of an individual’s daughter or son,” observes another.

These incidents are in addition to the ongoing vehicle vandalism and another recent mass altercation. One video depicts a gang member jumping from the hood of one vehicle to the hood of another between parked cars.

Quantifications

Robberies and score-settling have become prevalent in the municipal market. In recent months, there have been frequent conflicts between clans and gangs, and on Thursday, numerous pickpockets exploited the area’s activity.

The Villajoyosa Neighbourhood Group has urged the city council to take “urgent action to address this situation” and has sought a more effective and deterrent police presence within the market. In the interim, they strongly encourage residents to exercise utmost caution.

The situation has caused many residents to erupt, despite the fact that it is localised to specific areas of the town. Another user commented, “If the police fail to fulfil their obligations, it is incumbent upon us to take action.”

Nevertheless, a significant number of individuals have disseminated bigoted and xenophobic messages directed at the Muslim community and have linked juvenile delinquency to immigration.

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The ‘hippies’ will reopen their kiosks at Alicante Port for the first time on Friday

The ‘hippies’, who relocated from the Explanada to the Port of Alicante on April 4th, are now counting down to their reopening. On the Alicante port promenade, the new and vibrant stalls are situated between the Fish Market and the children’s park.

The ‘hippies’ kiosks will officially open and begin selling their distinctive artisanal products at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 11th, after more than three months of hard work.

The newly designed stalls, which are reminiscent of South Beach, Miami, feature inspiring phrases, transforming them into another tourist attraction and revitalising the sales locations.

Consequently, the wait is over, and the craft market, which was previously situated on the Explanada, will reopen its stalls “after three months of work and overcoming challenges,” they explain in a statement. They emphasise that “despite the difficulties, we have 15 stalls full of colour, hope, and creativity, offering unique and original products.”

During the day, vendors inform visitors that they can participate in activities for children, such as face painting or balloon sculptures created by a balloon artist, as well as appreciate motivational phrases printed on the stalls.

Transferring from the Explanada

Conflicts between the vendors of the Explanada and the City Council have persisted for several months. The Port Authority has announced that the vendors will be relocated to the Port Market for an initial period of one year, following their unsuccessful search for a new location.

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Torrevieja to host “The Phantom of the Opera”

The iconic musical The Phantom of the Opera, a masterpiece by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is preparing to depart Madrid and travel to various regions of Spain. The celebrated show is preparing to embark on its first national tour in Spanish, which will span over 20 locations in Spain, following a successful residency at the Albéniz Theatre in the capital, which attracted over 300,000 spectators. The journey will commence in Torrevieja and will continue until early 2027.

The introduction of this eagerly anticipated tour will take place at the Torrevieja Municipal Theatre, in Plaza Miguel Hernández. Torrevieja audiences will have the opportunity to witness six performances from June 6th to 9th, 2025, during which the theatre’s galleries will be filled with music, mystery, and magic. The inaugural performance is scheduled for Thursday, June 6th, at 8:00 p.m. Subsequently, there will be two additional performances on Friday, June 7th, at 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., two more on Saturday, June 8th, at 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., and a final farewell performance at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 9th.

This rendition of the theatrical classic, which is set in the grand Paris Opera, is faithful to Webber’s adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s novel and features Manu Pilas as the enigmatic Phantom and Judith Tobella as the scintillating Christine. Viewers are transported through the eerie corridors and backstage of this iconic theatre, where an enigmatic figure skulks, causing anarchy and dread.