The Minister for Territory and Sustainability, Damià Calvet, has announced this Wednesday the “immediate” transformation of a lane of the C-31 north, direction Barcelona, at the height of Badalona, in a Bus-VAO lane to improve public road transport.
In an appearance at the Parlament Territory Commission, Calvet has pointed out that this transformation is part of a larger project that includes two more phases: the construction of an exclusive fourth bus lane entering Barcelona between Montgat and Besòs, valued at 5 million euros, and give continuity to the bus lane in Badalona with the existing one to Plaça de les Glòries, with a new viaduct, worth 15 million euros.
The Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Damià Calvet
He underlined the need to strengthen the confidence of citizens in public transport
In his speech, he underlined the need to strengthen the confidence of citizens in public transport to prevent the fear of contagion from causing a transfer of users to the private vehicle and highlighted the commitment of the department and all the actors involved in guaranteeing security measures and correct operation.
The Minister has detailed that this Bus-VAO lane, which will enter service between the end of June and the beginning of July, will replace one of the three lanes intended for private vehicles and that it will only require two minor signaling and painting actions.
Although the C-31 north in the direction of Barcelona is a route that under normal conditions registers withholdings especially first thing in the morning, Calvet has indicated that a certain implementation of teleworking, flexible hours that flatten peak times and the Low Emission Zone they will mean a traffic reduction of more than 20%, which will make this transformation viable.
The C-31 north towards Barcelona
This Bus-VAO lane, which will enter service between the end of June and the beginning of July, will replace one of the three lanes intended for private vehicles
He also explained that they are in negotiations with the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda to complete the signing of the transfer agreement for the B-23, which includes an economic envelope for the implementation of an entry bus lane to the Catalan capital. on Diagonal avenue.
In his appearance, the Minister has also announced the preparation, by the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority, of a co-responsible mobility plan for companies, allowing them to make a self-diagnosis of the mobility of their workers and receive recommendations, which in the case of large companies will be mandatory.
The Minister has defended that the promotion of public transport and the Green Agenda of Catalonia must be an ally in the economic revival, but has demanded that the Government contribute the item of 109 million euros budgeted in the 2019 accounts and the constitution of a finalist and specific fund to face the loss of income and the new costs derived from the state of alarm.
Mobility plan
Complete the signing of the transfer agreement for the B-23, which includes the implementation of an entrance bus lane to the Catalan capital on Avenida Diagonal
In this sense, Calvet recalled, as the President of the Generalitat, Quim Torra, said at the last meeting of regional presidents with the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, that, according to the calculations of the ATM, the deficit in public transport it can reach 500 million euros at the end of the year.
Asked by the T-Mobilitat, whose pilot tests were scheduled for April and had to be implemented throughout the year, the minister reported that they are “readjusting” the schedule.
–
