Despite the many different incentives launched to promote the use of ecological or electric vehicles in the province there are currently only 410 in use in an area that stretches from Denia in the north to the southern outskirts of Pilar de la Horadada and many of these are in the use of councils or government institutions.
The Government still has a lot of work to do if it really wants to enforce the prohibition vehicles that emit polluting gases into the atmosphere, which includes all those that run on petrol or diesel engines, hybrids and new models that use compressed natural gas.
So, according to the latest data from the General Directorate of Traffic, of the more than one million passenger cars that are part of the Alicante mobile fleet at the moment, only 410 currently meet the requirements demanded by the future law, to be fully electric by the year 2040. Just 0.039% of the total, and that is despite all the incentives and campaigns that have been launched and the insistence that the electric car is the future of the sector.
Today, attempting to find one of these vehicles driving on the roads of Alicante is still almost as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack.
The image shows a recent presentation of a new electric vehicle by Aguamed, the Torrevieja water management company, which says that it will replace 12 of its current pool vehicles with electric in 2019.
The government AND the media have a lot do: most of Spain’s media – not just TV – are still woefully loyal-to-oil, to “Don Petroleo” and to any and every mob-like vested interest linked to Infernal Combustion.
Here in Ciudad Quesada it’s so bad that for decades all attempts even to roll out 21st century bus services linking us(and Rojales, Benijofar etc) have been neutralized and prevented – despite the massive increase in population and construction over the past five years or so.
I rightly refer to this area as the “Timewarp Triangle”: everyday we would-be eco-responsible residents look on – “green” with envy – as advanced civilised nations announce brilliant electric ride-hailing services, electric taxis, the roll out of fleets of electric buses – whilst we’re still stuck with just five lousy “bus”(clapped-out old coaches) connections a day to and from Torrevieja with gasoline-powered taxis cashing in as usual from their virtual monopoly.
We allegedly have had a green mayor in Torrevieja for the past three years or so – ex-banker Sr. Dolon.
No signs yet though of any 21st century green transport initiatives from “Alcalde Dolon 2.0”.
As the old adage goes:
– once a banker, always a banker…
Paul GOVAN