The Torrevieja City Council is installing two additional cameras to accommodate fixed radar devices for vehicle speed control in the city centre.

They are situated on Avenida Alfredo Nobel, opposite the Mar Bella senior residence, on the road that connects the Los Locos seashore with the Torre del Moro area, north of the town centre, which has been finished.

It has also been installed on Avenida de Baleares, near the green zone owned by Minister José Ramón Garcia Antón, and near the intersections with Calle Córcega and Tenerife. These streets are connected to the educational centres: IES Mediterráneo, La Purísima, and Colegio Público Virgen del Carmen.

In addition to another mobile radar device, the City Council will now have five booths for two fixed radar devices, following the acquisition of two booths and a radar. The acquisition, which cost nearly €58,000 (VAT included), was awarded to SICE, the same company that performs street lighting maintenance.

The two fixed devices that are adaptable to the kiosks are relocated on an ad hoc basis or throughout the year, contingent upon the Local Police’s requirements. As a result, drivers are unable to determine if they are actively participating. The new booths and radar necessitate a period of testing, calibration, and authorisation; consequently, they will not be implemented immediately. Activation may necessitate several months.

Safety on the road

Before this installation, the Traffic Department had already implemented signage enhancements on this section of Alfredo Nobel Road to mitigate speed. Educational radars were employed to alert drivers, who in this instance tended to accelerate in the direction of Torre del Moro-Playa de Los Locos, in the region commonly referred to as Las Calas.

The same action was taken at the other kiosk locations, including Avenida de Desiderio Rodríguez in San Roque, Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, and Avenida d’Gregorio Marañón at Acequión beach, more than a year ago. The radar has enabled the reduction of speeds in urban areas to below 40 kilometres per hour in areas where accidents, particularly those involving pedestrians, have resulted in severe injuries and fatalities.

Penalties

The imposition of hundreds of sanctions of no less than €200 has more than offset the investment of over €60,000 for the first three-cabin radar implemented since mid-2023 and continuing throughout 2024. The most frequently imposed fines are €300, €400, and €500. Concurrently, municipal technical services field numerous appeals each month.

The technicians responsible for the contract have stated that the new acquisition will enhance road safety in the city, which “will undoubtedly result in a decrease in accidents in Torrevieja.”