Taking into account the ineptitude shown by the Orihuela City Council in all its efforts, particularly those related to the town of Orihuela Costa, and fearing that the opening of the markets will generate more cases of Coronavirus, we issue this press release in the vain hope that these parties (PP, Citizens) who govern Orihuela, do not cause a disaster.
The Orihuela Costa street market on Saturdays generates a lot of debate and opposition due to its location. Every Saturday, and particularly in the summer, queues of cars of several kilometres long are generated, making it impossible to travel through the streets of Playa Flamenca in Orihuela Costa.
PIOC has been asking for its move to another location that would create less chaos and make it easier for buyers and sellers to use.
Now with the coronavirus we believe that an opportunity has come.
We believe it should be moved to the street surrounding the Zenia Boulevard complex and the parking lot in front of Decathlon and Leroy Merlin.
These streets and parking belong to Orihuela municipality, not to the shopping complex. We believe that only one side should be used starting by the Chinese shop and in one direction. In this way, and by distancing the stalls, customers could be separated according to the new regulations.
Parking on Zenia Boulevard would not be affected since Saturday morning with the underground parking would suffice. It would be a one-way street market with one row for people to be served and a second channel two metres away for people moving along.
We know that these parties that govern Orihuela are not going to listen to us, and knowing their track record they are going to cause a disaster. An example is that the PP and Ciudadanos still do not care that the 4,000 young people of Orihuela do not have a library or a music or language school and yet they have asked that Orihuela be declared a creative literary city.
The Emergency Centre is not going to be built because of the guilty negligence of these parties that do not deserve to govern the beautiful city of Orihuela. And they will surely have to close the civic centre as the architect requested in December.
The PP and Ciudadanos will not listen to us and they will open the market in any way. That is why we ask the residents of the coast not to go to the market until the rules are clearly defined and can be safely followed.
Is it any wonder Orihuela City Council pays little respect when yet another organisation on the coast make representations to the council that have not been properly thought through first ?
What the PIOC have failed to recognise is that the road surrounding Zenia Boulevard is used by HGVs delivering to Zenia Boulevard. There are mulitple numbered delivery gates at Zenia Boulevard which are accessed via this road and a market would prevent deliveries taking place. Deliveries are also only permitted during certain hours in the morning.
If people on the coast want the Council to take us seriously, we need to be more coherent and professional in the way ideas are presented.