The current mayor of Torrevieja, who is standing again as the candidate of the Partido Popular, Eduardo Dolón, has met with the representatives of the small business and hospitality sectors of the town, APYMECO and AEHTC, headed by their presidents, Jorge Almarcha and José Ignacio Pastor, respectively, to vow to support commerce if he is elected once again.
Eduardo Dolón analysed the commitments of the 2019 manifesto, as well as new challenges for the next mandate in terms of trade and hospitality.
Among them, plans to continue to promote the Consumer Bonus campaigns, as have been done in many municipalities, and “establish deterrent parking spaces for times of increased traffic”, increase training and improvement actions in our local shops and hotels, and continue to bet on national and international campaigns, such as the “Torrevieja Weekend”, which took place recently during a weekend when shops are legally obliged to be closed on a Sunday.
There are also plans working their way through the system now to adapt the occupancy rates for public roads to the nature of the local terraces, to increase and improve their use and enjoyment, although as this was allegedly progressing without public consultation, there are concerns that these plans will have an impact on the accessibility within the towns, as any increase in terrace space inevitably means a reduction in space available for pedestrians, and there are already many areas where those with reduced mobility are unable to access.
The candidate for Mayor for the PP is also committed to the implementation of the “open urban shopping centre” to improve the competitiveness of local commerce; expand hospitality and commercial collaboration in the recycling and separation of waste; improve the noise ordinance to be more competitive with nearby municipalities, respecting the residents of Torrevieja and their quality of life (he didn’t mention the noise and inconvenience caused by the concerts he organises), as well as continuing to bet on tax rebates and bonuses as an economic engine and incentive for the local productive sector.
In addition, there is a firm commitment to establish a traffic policy that favours the flow of wheeled vehicles during business hours, to continue working to eradicate the sale of unauthorised products on promenades and tourist areas, something which the he is demonstratively failing to deal with currently under, and to improve the management of business hours and parking areas.
