Benidorm City Council today announced the city’s events for European Mobility Week 2025, which will run until 22nd September under the slogan “Mobility for All.” More than 3,000 localities across Europe are taking part in the initiative to promote the use of public transport and other more sustainable modes of mobility.
Benidorm City Council’s Mobility Councillor, Francis Muñoz; ONCE Director for Benidorm and the surrounding region, Vicente Vázquez; members of the organisation, accompanied by Juan Díaz, Councillor for the Presidency, and municipal technicians, led the first Mobility Week event to highlight the city’s accessible pedestrian routes.
The activity began in Plaza de la Hispanidad. A short walk took me through Calle Valencia, Pérez Llorca, and Gambo before arriving at Calle Ruzafa.
Throughout the tour, participants praised the acoustic pavement markings that enable blind people to walk on public streets.
The municipal Technical Services installed the city’s first traffic-light-controlled crossing on Ruzafa Street, allowing blind people to cross safely. The crossing is controlled by a remote and is approved by ONCE (National Commission for the Protection of Children and Adolescents). It emits an audible warning while the light is green.
Councillor Francis Muñoz explained that this initiative is the result of active listening and collaboration with various organisations, in this case with ONCE. The City Council aims to facilitate mobility and make it safer and more accessible for all people, regardless of their abilities.
The European Mobility Week celebrations continued yesterday, Wednesday September 17th, on Calle Italia, with activities and games for students from Els Tolls and Puig Campana public schools. There will also be a stand where students can learn about, identify, and interact with all of the signs they may come across on their way to school.
Today, Thursday, the 18th, an activity on the safe use of electric scooters will be held at the Children’s Traffic Park for secondary school, high school, and vocational training students, in collaboration with the Local Police. That same afternoon, from 5 to 8 p.m., bouncy castles and children’s games will be set up on Avenida de l’Ametlla de Mar, so that “the little ones have their own space, can occupy the public road for a day, and have fun in spaces that should also be open to pedestrians.”
Urban Transport Day is commemorated on Friday, the 19th. Today, in collaboration with the bus concessionaire, Avanza, an agreement has been reached to make transfers free for users of urban lines. A new line, line 26, will also be introduced, with a minibus covering the route around Avenida de Venezuela, the Foietes health and speciality centre, and its surroundings.
On Saturday, the Plaza de S.S. MM. los Reyes de España will host a charity bicycle market between 5 and 6 p.m., where citizens can bring bicycles they have at home that they no longer use so they can be donated to an NGO that will give them a second life among people in need.
The following day, on Sunday, September 21st, the charity race “On the Front Line” will take place starting at 9 a.m., organized by the Benidorm Local Police Cultural Association in collaboration with Aspanion (the Association of Parents of Children with Cancer in the Valencian Community), and also with the support of Benidorm City Council.
Finally, on Monday the 22nd, “Car-Free Day” will be celebrated. Traffic will be restricted on Paseo de Poniente and Avenida de la Armada Española from 11 a.m. and 10 p.m., with access limited to fords and public transport only. Likewise, from 5 p.m. Calle del Alcalde José Such Ortega will also be closed to traffic until 8 p.m., with bouncy castles and other children’s play areas set up to commemorate Mobility Week.
To round out all these activities, the city is also participating from today until the 22nd in the ‘Walk for your city’ challenge, an initiative that counts the number of steps taken by residents of each city while walking. Anyone who wishes to join can do so through the free-to-download mobile app ‘Walk15’. At the end of the week, the places that have taken the most steps for this cause will be awarded prizes, promoting not only more sustainable mobility, but also well-being and healthier lifestyle habits.
Author: Derek Appleton
Other Articles
British tourist arrested for death of friend in Benidorm
Alicante Council is looking for a company to reopen the kiosk
No Comment! Be the first one.