URBAN TRANSPORT IN SARAGOSSA

It is some time now since I have been thinking about writing a Blog in English. Why? Basically because our problems in Saragosa with transportation are common to other cities, and whatever is proposed over here, can also be valid elsewhere.

Zaragoza is a city with a population of around 700.000 people, 5th biggest city in Spain. So far, traffic jams are not the big problem. I always joke that, for me, a traffic jam is when I have to wait more than 3 changes of colour at the same traffic light. However, lately, the situation with traffic in the city is worsening. Zaragoza is going to hold the EXPO 2008 from July 14th next year, for 3 months. Of course, the city at the moment, looks more like a work site than a city, but as an old lady told me once... "to have things good, you need to suffer them badly".

The city is developping quite fast, even faster than our faith in our Council. The city is also experimenting a huge growth in extension, (no so much in population) and distances are getting longer and longer. So, the Council, proposed a plan to cope with today's needs and supposedly, the future ones too.

At present we have a bus network of 34 bus routes operated by a private company and about 9 lines to rural districts dependant from the council, and operated privately by 4 different companies. These 9 lines, funnily enough are controlled by the Regional Government instead of the Council. Funny things that happen here.

Only at end of last year, the PIT (Plan Intermodal de Transporte or Transport Development Strategy) was presented. It was supposed to enhance the public transport in the city. Far away from reality! It took much longer to finalise, and in the process, new routes had been introduced that never appeared in the strategic plan. Therefore, the same day it was presented, it was already outdated. Some bus routes were curtailed, some extended, but these actions were only centered in 4 lines. The second stage after the implementation of the tramline, would be to curtail most of the lines that run along the tramroute. WHAT A PLAN!!!

The tramline that will cross the city from North to South. Innitially, the tramway was designed to cope with the necessity raised with the new residential estates at both ends. Or at least, this is what I want to believe. It is true that the current network has a demand that is clearly bigger than the offer. This means that buses are overcrowded and at peak-hours it is common to see people having to wait for the next bus because the one at the bus-stop is full.

The need for a high capacity system is clear. However, the tramway has risen another point of view. Wouldn't it be better to invest on an underground system? I believe that a hybrid system would be much better, that is, a Light-Rail System, a Tramway in the suburbs which goes underground in the city centre. Politicians are now in the middle of a fierce battle, not really because they have clear views on how to improve the system, but because elections are round the corner, and they believe that confusing the voters they will gain more votes. WRONG!

I could go on and on, but I prefer to do it little by little, as I have mixed many subjects in this first English blog. Eventhough my blogs are in Spanish, I will, now and then, update an English version, so that if I have some English speaking readers, they can get my opinion as well. Comments, are always welcome and questions will be answered as well. Leave yours here.