Traffic and Transport Odds and Ends

Well, February may have made its windy way out to the sound of falling trees and school roofs being blown off but March has tiptoed into Vigo so far. Monday started with a nice blue sky which, unfortunately, soon changed to cloud and intermittent rain showers, more like April than anything else. Tuesday actually brought us some sunshine and felt quite spring like. Today has been very pleasant. The blossom trees have survived the storms and are looking good. As I walked around yesterday evening I even saw a temperature of 16.5° registered outside a chemist’s shop. Not bad for the beginning of March!

Monday also brought us the strange sight of a large boat apparently drifting around at our end of the estuary. As it swung around I saw the name Balearia in large blue letters on the side. There have apparently been two car-transporter/ferryboats for this company being “finished off” in the port of Vigo. One is now operating between the Balearics and the East coast of Spain; the other is due for collection in April or May.

In the last lot of strong winds back in January when they were both still here, one of them slipped its moorings and bumped into the other. I wondered whether something similar had happened this time as the boat, accompanied by several tugs appeared to be drifting rather aimlessly. However, there has been nothing (or at least I could find nothing) in the news about it so I can only guess that they were testing something. At any rate, by yesterday morning there was no sign of it.

This leads me on to one or two traffic and transport related facts that I have been collecting recently. When they carry out improvements to the coast road between Vigo and A Ramallosa it will incorporate a new arcén-bici or cycle path. This will be about two metres wide, painted red to differentiate it from the rest of the road surface and will take two-way cycle traffic.

What interested me most of all was the fact that it is to be on the inland-side of the road so that it is completely separate from the pedestrian pavement on the coast side. Now, in my experience most cyclists here really prefer to ride on the pavement. Will they be able to resist? Will the cycle path be used?

To some extent I can sympathise with cyclists wanting to use the pavement. Motorists here and in the UK find it hard to see cyclists. They have enough trouble with motorcyclists but the pedalling fraternity are almost invisible. Surprisingly, however, not many car drivers get locked up for it. It would seem that there are just under 3000 people in prison in Spain for motoring offences.

Around one third are there for driving without a licence. Why do they drive without a licence? Well, some use the excuse of falta de formación escolar – maybe they can’t pass the theory test because they didn't complete their education! (Someone I know says that most of these are gypsies, known for giving little importance to education or to the rules and regulations of payo or non-gipsy society, for that matter!) Others claim language difficulties. And another group say they can’t afford the lessons. Strangely they can afford the car!

Just under one third are inside for dangerous driving. The term used in the newspaper article I read was conducción temeraria which sounds more like daring driving to my English ear. About 5% are imprisoned for what is described as suponer un grave riesgo para la circulación. Those are the REALLY dangerous drivers, I assume.

Another group of around one third have been put away for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs although there are 4.14% who are there for refusing to submit to the alcohol and drug tests. And finally there is a minuscule 2.72% who are there for driving too fast. How fast do you have to go to be put away for it? Or do you have to be a serial speeder?

Interestingly, out of the 2982 people in prison for motoring offences only 35 are women. I repeat, ONLY 35 women. Does this not perhaps say something about the merits of women drivers? Lower insurance premiums, fewer accidents, fewer convictions: I rest my case!

Finally, I come to underground train systems. A young man from Santiago de Compostela, 20 year old Francisco Dans, currently studying design in London, has “invented” an underground train system for his native city. He has produced a map with several different-coloured train lines, metro stops and so on. Based on the London Tube system, as are the underground networks of Madrid and Barcelona, it has a Central Line, coloured red, which has a stop in Milladoiro for easy access to the cathedral. There are connecting lines with a stop in Plaza de Galicia and even a connection to the railway station para os estudantes que voltan o van ás suas casas. Santiago is, after all, a university city with students who commute from other parts of Galicia.

Francisco does say though that his project is just fantasy and not a very realistic one at that. The relatively small size of Santiago de Compostela makes it impossible to transfer the London Tube map directly. Some of the stations on his map are only 50 metres apart. Maybe it’s just as well it isn't going to be a reality. Imagine the chaos that could ensue if you started obras all over the pilgrim city!