A year and a half after the headline jumped, the news finally begins to crystallize with faits accomplis. In March 2021, Barcelona City Council announced the deployment of 46 speed cameras. Eleven months later, the thing was less than half, a total of 21 controls (see the list at the end of the text). The four of a stretch (in tunnels) were installed in June and on September 1 they began to fine after three months in which they have reported 6,000 violations. But the most visible display was missing, that of the poles in the urban core. That happened on Monday 17 points of the city: a dozen in school settings (maximum, 30km/h) and five others (limit to 50km/h), at intersections where too much running has led to avoidable traffic accidents. For now, there is only one screen in the place reports vehicle speed. Beginning in October, offenders will receive a notice with your recklessnessand in January, the consistory will start punishing with tickets between 100 and 600 euros.
The third deputy mayor and head of Mobility, Laia Bonethas shared the details of the project together with one of the new radars, the one located on the Industry Street, next to an institute and a school. Don’t take this for granted, but after observing the behavior of 100 vehicles that passed by, 84% have exceeded the limit (including most TMB buses) and only 16% have respected it. The socialist councilor has insisted that the objective is not to fine “but to promote a change of habits in driving” that allows reaching the objective of “zero fatalities and zero serious injuries.
We are going badly in this 2022: 18 deceased, 15 of them, motorcyclists. Although the purpose is not to sanction, what the consistory enters with speeding is not nonsense: 347,000 sanctions in 2019, just over 600,000 in 2020, the year of the ‘Fitipaldis’ due to the drop in mobility that cleaned the streets, and almost 360,000 in 2021.
static cameras
Thus, Barcelona will start 2023 with thirty speed cameras 100% operational, 17 of which will also maintain the educational screen. To those already mentioned we must add the seven points that have been going on for years and a fifth section planned in the Vallvidrera tunnel. All of them will be duly signposted, which does not prevent the city council from sanctioning a thousand drivers every day, according to the annual figures. about the possibility of that the radars are dynamic, that is, that they modify the speed to be controlled depending on the time or the day of the week, Bonet has assured that it is not something they have in mind. Thus the things, the cameras in school environment located on streets with more than one traffic lane will also maintain the limit of 30 kilometers per hour on weekends or at night.
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Running more than necessary is one of the main indirect causes of accidents in the Catalan capital. According to the balance presented at the beginning of the year by those responsible for the Guàrdia Urbana, speeding was decisive in 34 accidents, very far, however, from the 261 in which there were presence of alcohol or the 56 that were influenced by a road in poor condition. In fact, in the direct causes, those that determine the tragedy, there were 1,642 cases of lack of attention on the part of the driver. Or what is the same, someone who chose mix flyer with mobile phone.
about the possibility of install more radars in the future, since the council itself had planned 48 and later reduced it to 21, Bonet has assured that they do not close the door to expanding the project. “Hopefully it is not necessary, but we will put cameras where necessary,” he said, in a skillful maneuver to neither deny nor confirm, taking into account that we are already in an election year. It has been preferred to opt for educational screens, not foreseen in the previous planningsee how things work, draw positive and negative conclusions and see if it is necessary to deploy new radars.
List of the 12 radars in school environments (30 km/h)
Numància, between the streets of Anglesola and Déu i Mata.
Aragó, between Bruc and Passeig de Gràcia.
Mallorca, between Nàpols and Roger de Flor.
Mallorca, between Muntanya and Fontova.
Travessera de Gràcia, between Aribau and Alfons XII.
Industry, between Sant Quintí and Conca.
Sant Antoni Maria Claret, between Trinxant and Guinardó.
Balmes, between Marià Cubí and Travessera de Gràcia.
Entença, between Provença and Rosselló.
Sardenya, between Taxdirt and Travessera de Gràcia.
Muntaner, between Còrsega and Rosselló.
List of the five radars at fixed points (50 km/h)
Aragó, between Urgell and Casanovas.
Gran Via, between Sant Roc and Sant Germà.
Diagonal, between Pius XII and the Palau de Pedralbes.
Diagonal, at the height of Numància.
Paseo de la Bonanova, at the height of Carrer de Pomaret.
List of the four new speed cameras
Glòries tunnel (50 km/h)
Rovira tunnel (50 km/h)
Ronda Litoral, between Morrot and Plaza de los Voluntaris (60 km/h)
Badal tunnel (from Cerdà to Diagonal, at 60 km/h)