Michael A. Appel 
Parking on the seafront of Torre del Mar /
The hospitality and retail association has called on the council to find a solution to the city’s parking problem ahead of the summer season
Local businesses in Torre del Mar, through the Association of Traders and Entrepreneurs (ACET), have called on City Hall to take action to extend blue zone parking along the town’s waterfront.
They claim that even in winter there are serious parking problems in the city, especially along the coastal road, with no control over how long cars are parked, resulting in vehicles occupying spaces for periods of time. “whole days”.
The only blue zone is in Plaza de la Axarquía, which is currently closed for renovation. The car parks on the seafront and the Thursday market have been, since 2015, monitored by the local association for disabled people, Amivel, with a donation of one euro, but without control of the timetables.
“The situation is unsustainable. Traders, hoteliers and businesses cannot face another summer in this situation. Most parking spaces are used by vehicles for days and as storage for beach equipment” , CTEA said in a statement.
They went on to say, “Hundreds of vehicles circle around looking for a place to park, creating a traffic of ‘zombies’, until they give up in desperation and drive off.” They warned that visitors to the city would be put off by the problem, particularly in summer: “The next time they decide to visit us, they will think twice,” they said. ACET urged the town hall “to act now while there is still time”.
