​Nearly 9,000 information requests made by Spanish Authorities on traffic offences committed in Spain since 2017

Nearly 9,000 requests for information have been made by the Spanish authorities to Gibraltar in respect of driving offences committed in Spain by residents in Gibraltar in the last three years.

This has been confirmed by the Government in answers to questions in Parliament.

In 2017 there were 338 requests made by Spain regarding traffic offences committed there. The following year it rose to 4647. In 2019 there were 3818 requests. So far in 2020 there have only been 24.

Daniel Feetham, the Opposition spokesman who had posed the original question, asked if the arrangement was reciprocal, and if Gibraltar made requests of Spanish motorists committing offences here.

The Chief Minister said this wasn’t necessary because the steps taken by Gibraltar were far more draconian, and Spanish motorists can have their vehicles impounded.

But Mr Feetham said in a previous answer to a similar question, he had been told that the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority in the UK didn’t make requests to Spain on behalf of Gibraltar.

This gave rise to a wider debate about the postboxing system, where the UK handles requests on Gibraltar’s behalf, which Mr Picardo said had been introduced during the GSD’s time and done a lot of damage because it had made Spain’s non-recognition of Gibraltar’s authorities sacrosanct.

In other questions on traffic, Elliott Phillips asked about the Government’s plans to roll out its ten pounds per capita investment into cycling infrastructure, awareness and safety programmes.

Traffic Minister Vijay Daryanani said the Transport Advisory Committee had been convened and had met twice, and had discussing the exciting plans to develop new cycling lanes. He said the Government was considering implementing a ride to work scheme where employers could assist workers to buy bicycles in exchange for tax advantages, and was working towards the construction of covered bicycle parking. He said the Government was committed to promoting cycling and walking, and added the total investment would easily surpass the ten pound per capita threshold.

Mr Daryanani also confirmed the total cost to date of the Sustainable Traffic and Transport Plan was 475,758 pounds.