Nov 04 - Government Complains to EU Commission on Pedestrian Queues
Following a week of unpredictable pedestrian queues for those exiting Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Government has sent a complaint to the European Commission. Extensive queues have formed as a result of stringent and ‘disproportionate checks being conducted by the Spanish authorities on pedestrians entering Spain’.
The government has claimed that the checks conducted by Spanish authorities on motorists over the past few months has resulted in cross frontier workers parking their vehicles on the Spanish side of the frontier and entering Gibraltar on foot. They claim that this has led to an increase in pedestrian traffic.
A No.6 statement explains that the main impact of the delays are on persons who work in Gibraltar and live in Spain. They continue, ‘the consequence of the new increased checks being conducted by the Spanish authorities on pedestrians have seen the elderly, young children and disabled persons on wheelchairs being made to wait to cross the border from Gibraltar into Spain.
‘The Government has sent Brussels photographs of the latest pedestrian queues and details of every single delay to vehicles and motorists in either direction covering September and October 2013. This has also included pictures of the double-filter operated at the border which has led to some cars entering Spain being checked two times by the same agency.’
‘Speaking on the issue, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Garcia stated, ‘we are keeping the European Commission informed of every development so that they are able to scrutinise new data and up to date information as part of their investigation.
‘It is clear that the situation has degenerated since the inspection visit of 25 September in several important respects. The delays being engineered by the Spanish authorities are now unpredictable as well as disproportionate. They affect cars, motorbike or pedestrians travelling in either direction and can take place in the morning, afternoon, evening or even late at night. The Government will continue to do everything in its power to expose the continuing bullying tactics exerted by the Spanish Government against a small territory like Gibraltar. These tactics serve no useful purpose other than to disrupt the daily lives of citizens on both sides of the border. This abuse is totally unnecessary, absolutely intolerable and it undermines the right of EU nationals to freedom of movement through an EU border.’
