On Monday, June 15, the municipal corporation of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell held, via telematics, an extraordinary emergency plenary session to which the opposition did not appear, as indicated by the government team, to approve the report of the 'Access control project to the Moraig cove'. With this, the procedures to request a grant from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) begin.
The project, which contemplates different phases of action and which is 50% subsidized, is intended to favor the transition to a low-carbon economy within the framework of the ERDF operational program for sustainable growth 2014-2020.
The considerable increase in visitors that the enclave of Cala del Moraig has experienced in recent years has jeopardized the balance of the environment. In summer, on busy days, up to 800 parked vehicles can be concentrated. This causes not only a problem of overcrowding, but also of road safety as illegal parking proliferates.
In order to redirect this situation and achieve greater environmental protection for the environment, the government team launched a working commission last October that, a few months later, has resulted in the design of a leading plan that could materialize next 2021 if the IDAE approves it. This project contemplates not only the limitation of capacity in the Cala del Moraig, but a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings by promoting less use of the car.
At the moment, this summer, before the post-covid scenario, one of the measures contemplated in the program is going to be implemented, consisting of a reservation app for vehicles that allows controlling the capacity of the beach.
The future project
The project consists of many interventions. The main one is the limitation and control of car access to the cove. For this, the idea is to install barriers in the parking area located at the intersection of the Carretera de la Cala del Moraig and the Travesía de la Cala. From this point on, visitors will only be able to access it by foot. Only authorized vehicles such as ambulances and security forces, sea rescue or public transport will be allowed.
To facilitate the movement of users to the beach, a shuttle minibus service is contemplated, which will make the connection from the access control point to the lower part of the road. In this sense, so that you can make the turn, two gazebos have been planned. Regarding parking, 250 spaces have been reserved for passenger cars and 30 for motorcycles, as well as four charging points for electric vehicles.
The project has a high degree of applied technology. To park, prior reservation will be required through a mobile app or the municipal website. This formula will allow controlling the access of private vehicles, limiting them to the available capacity, and informing users of the state of occupancy in real time to avoid displacement if it is full. Information panels are also provided on the access roads to divert traffic in the absence of parking availability.
In addition, there will be monitored controls of the contamination index in the area through three sensors. The objective of these sensors is to collect useful information to monitor the effectiveness of the measures implemented. And it is that this reduction of pollution takes on special interest in the surroundings of the Cala del Moraig, which is included within the Special Conservation Zone (ZEC) and the Place of Community Interest (SCI) of the Penya-segats de la Marina, with a great environmental and landscape value that houses protected fauna and flora.
Sustainable management of the environment
After months of work, for the entire government team, the elaboration of this project, which could become a reality in the not too distant future, is a success. "These regulations will allow for a more sustainable management of the space, avoiding the degradation that the natural environment has been suffering for a few years due to the agglomerations", have pointed.
In addition, greater rotation will be achieved, parking in non-permitted areas will be avoided, and more efficient habits will be favored to the detriment of the use of the private vehicle, increasing pedestrian movement, the use of bicycles in medium distance and public transport.
