Tourists and Commuters Suffer As Staff Shortages Cause Costa Rail
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FREE COPY THE NEWSPAPER FOR The Costa’s SOUTHERN SPAIN top golf paperr Official market leader Audited by PGD/OJD inside June 16th to 22nd 2017 www.surinenglish.com Costa del Golf brings News 2 What To Do 44 Comment 25 My Home 49 news and information Lifestyle 26 Sport 57 Health & Beauty 37 Classified 62 from the golfing world in English Food & Drink 43 Pastimes 70 INSIDE Tourists and commuters suffer as staff shortages cause Costa rail disruptions A total of 38 trains were cancelled on the C-1 line ON DUTY AGAINST between last Friday and PREJUDICE Wednesday Commuters and tourists on the Malaga-Fuengirola line have suf- Carmen Ada Edjang fered disruptions over the last few days as several trains were can- is one of very few black celled last Friday, Tuesday and women police officers Wednesday. A shortage of drivers in Spain P16 has been blamed for the problem for which the Spanish rail com- pany Renfe has been unable to pro- vide an immediate solution. The company warned passengers on Thursday evening that another 18 departures would be cancelled to- day, Friday, due to circumstances that could not be foreseen. Socialists have described the situation as “intolerable” and called for an immediate solution from the government P3 Carmen Ada Edjang, outside the provincial police station where she is based in Malaga. :: ÑITO SALAS A fresh new look for Torremolinos. Architect Bouncers taken Salvador Moreno Peralta Staff watch on as Estepona has presented plans for the to hospital after 3.8-million-euro project P10 chiringuito is demolished Torremolinos knife attack La Antigua beach bar’s La Antigua beach bar-restaurant on Man is arrested for trying French owner said he El Saladillo beach in Costalita was to hang his dog using a didn’t understand the law knocked down by the authorities lead in front of shocked as the bulldozers crushed on Thursday, after a court decided A man and his brother that it had no licence and stood on were arrested after the passers by in a public his business on Thursday public land which was classified as attack at the beach club on square in Fuengirola P5 a green zone. P2 La Antigua. :: C. MÁRQUEZ Sunday evening P5 The Invasion is over. The Junta de Andalucía has ordered the removal of 15 mosaics installed in Malaga by the French artist P12 22222222 June 16th to 22nd 2017 NEWS SUR IN ENGLISH Junta tourism Costa property prices have risen minister calls for Madrid’s help over most in Manilva and Marbella British holiday- sickness claims New developments are sales, +5.6%). being built on the Costa There are some new developments, :: PILAR MARTÍNEZ but it is noticeable that these are MALAGA. The Junta de Anda- del Sol and a shortage mainly in certain areas which have lucía has issued a plea for more of land in Marbella is always been popular for construc- help from central government benefiting Estepona tion. The Tinsa report only indicates to stop the wave of claims significant activity in this sector in against hoteliers by British holi- and Benahavís 12 per cent of the country, including daymakers for supposed illness Marbella-Estepona, Mallorca, Ibiza while in Spain. :: MÓNICA PÉREZ and north of Alicante. Regional tourism minister, MALAGA. The Costa del Sol is still The report also shows that prop- Francisco Javier Fernández, reflecting the ongoing recovery of erty is selling well in Marbella but called on Madrid to do more, the residential property market along the stock of residential property is saying the situation needed the Spanish coasts, especially in Mar- one of the lowest in the country. The “mediation with the British bella, Manilva, Estepona and Mijas. most popular properties are two-bed- authorities by the Spanish gov- Prices have risen most in the first two roomed houses or apartments, about ernment...and the help of na- of these municipalities, according to 100 square metres in size. New builds tional security forces on the the latest report by the Tinsa valua- A new development under construction last year in San Pedro. :: J-L. are mainly good quality two or three stretches of coast affected.” tion agency: in Manilva property bedroomed apartments and luxury The hotel sector has become in- prices have gone up by 15 per cent, destinations, including the Costa del tre, among the highest in Spain. villas. creasingly concerned about claims and in Marbella by 11.3 per cent dur- Sol, and that optimism has proven to With regard to demand, if provin- One problem in Marbella is a lack organised through UK legal firms ing the first quarter of this year, com- be correct so far. cial capital cities on the Spanish coasts of available land following the can- in British courts from tourists who pared with the same period in 2016. The Tinsa report shows that the are not included in the figures, then cellation of the main town plan say they get sick on holiday, mainly The report also looks at the situa- Costa del Sol is in a leading position the places with the highest number (PGOU). This means that developers in all-inclusive hotels. The claims tion in the holiday property market in the recovery of the property mar- of property transactions last year were are looking at nearby areas such as are made against tour operators in Spain, using official figures and lo- ket. Front line properties on the coast Torrevieja (5,291 property sales, about Estepona and Benahavís instead, and who pass the bill to hoteliers. They cal experience in 58 different areas. in Marbella are now costing about 21.7 per cent more than in 2015); Mar- as a result prices there have risen con- say some 90 percent of the claims There was considerable optimism at 6,000 euros per square metre, and in bella (4,001 sales, -9.8%); Orihuela siderably in recent months thanks are false. So far Andalucía has es- the beginning of this year in some Estepona 8,000 euros per square me- (3,839 sales, +1.7%) and Mijas (2,506 to the high demand for those areas. caped the worst. ten years under French owner Jean La Antigua chiringuito in Marc, who said he “can’t understand the Spanish laws” and didn’t know Estepona demolished that his bar was on a green zone. The employees showed their in- dignation and incomprehension at :: CHARO MÁRQUEZ of the tourist season, as they em- how their livelihood was being ESTEPONA. La Antigua beach bar- ploy up to 50 members of staff dur- crushed by the machinery. Daniel restaurant on El Saladillo beach in ing the summer. They also said they Romero, the chiringuito’s manager, Costalita was knocked down by the would demolish the building them- said. “They’re taking our lives away, authorities on Thursday, after a court selves in September. However, the not our jobs, because there are more decided that it had no licence and request was denied on the grounds jobs, but none like this one.” stood on public land which was clas- that they might continue the busi- The employees’ complaints were sified as a green zone. ness indefinitely, and Estepona aimed mainly at the mayor of Este- The legal action was begun by council said this had been the case pona, José María García Urbano. Estepona council in 2013, but the for several years. “Muchas gracias, señor alcalde,” French owners, who began renting The 25 current members of staff (thank you, Mr Mayor) were the the site 11 years ago and bought it watched on as the chiringuito was words chalked on a blackboard two years ago, applied for the demo- bulldozed on Thursday morning. pinned to one of the columns that lition to be postponed until the end Many had been working there for were still standing. The chiringuito was demolished on Thursday. :: C. MÁRQUEZ June 16th to 22nd 2017 3 SUR IN ENGLISH NEWS Staffing problems behind Costa del Sol train cancellations A total of 38 trains didn’t are not caused by one specific issue run between last but by an accumulation of unexpected circumstances. weekend and They admitted that the workforce Wednesday, and a further was tight, with some staffaff already 18 trains are due to be on holiday, and so any ab- sence due to illnessess or cancelled today, Friday other reasons can cause cancellations.tions. :: JUAN SOTO “This situationation MALAGA. Passengers on the C-1 would not occur Cercanías train line between Fuen- if there weree exex-- girola and Malaga found their plans tra staff,” said A crowdedcro carriage on the Malaga-Fuengirola line this week. :: CELIA ROMERO disrupted on Tuesday morning when sources on they learned that eight trains had Tuesday. been cancelled. Similar chaos reigned Users have on Wednesday when the rail com- complainedd that Politicians call for the of citizens are suffering and the pany Renfe reported 12 cancellations the cancellationstions government had not planned to that afternoon. were not an- government to find an bring in new train drivers,” he The company maintained that the nounced with immediate solution said. The Andalusian minister for cancellation of some of the services enough time foror pas-pas- Tourism and Sport, Francisco Ja- A train on the C-1 line. was due to technical problems caused sengers to plan alterna-terna- MaríaMa vier Fernández, called for a :: FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ by staff adjustments. However this tive transport, which Castro,Castro one The train cancellations greater commitment to tourism is not the first time this has happened meant that people arrivedived late of the passengerspa prompted political reactions on from Renfe stressing that it was recently and it nearly always affects for work or later than plannednned at the affected ono Tuesday, Wednesday when the PSOE So- vital for rail services to function rush-hour trains.