“Since we came to the government, we have been gradually improving maritime connections. With this maritime contract we have allocated almost 80 million euros so that the Melillenses can have better conditions, better services and better boats when connecting Melilla with the peninsula”.
The Government Delegate, Sabrina Moh, accompanied by the Director of the Functional Area of Promotion of the Delegation, Juan José Martín, the Territorial Director of INGESA, Omar Haouari, the Provincial Director of SEPE, Jorge Vera, and the Head of the Civil Protection and Emergency Unit of the Government Delegation, Mohamed Mohamed, attended the presentation of the maritime route that connects Melilla with Motril (Granada).
In statements to the media, the head of the Government Delegation said that, although the Melilla-Motril line has been operating in this new maritime navigation contract since January 1, “it is always important to make an official presentation where Melilla citizens can know first-hand what improvements have been incorporated into this new route.”
In this regard, he stressed the importance of connections for this Executive and recalled that shielding through a Public Service Obligation (PSO) the Motril line was a demand of the PSOE, “something that we were told was not possible.” “However, a commitment of this government was to protect it and declare the OSP so that the Melillenses did not have to lose this destination,” he said.
Route improvements
The highest representative of the Government of Spain in our city has referred that the Melillenses can travel with their pets to Motril, an “important advance” in which they were working in coordination with the shipping company Armas Trasmediterráneo, the Port of Motril and the Area of Agriculture and Pesco of the Government Delegation. It is “an achievement” that has been in force since August last year.
In addition, it has exposed the drop in prices when traveling with a vehicle, established in the current maritime contract. “Already in the previous maritime contract we lowered the rate to 60 euros and in this contract there has been an even greater decrease in prices, reaching 40 euros,” he explained.
Change of rotations
On the other hand, the head of the Government Delegation has assured that they are working to resolve the reorganization of the rotations with Almería on weekends, without having any detriment on the issue of supply, in order that everything is guaranteed.
In this regard, he explained that it is necessary to find the balance between the demands of the citizens and the transit of goods that reach the city by sea through the different lines. “We are going to combine all that and establish a calendar that will eventually satisfy, as far as possible, the greatest number of melillenses,” he said.
Therefore, he has defended that the solution is aimed at redistributing the three lines with Motril and the three lines with Almería to be able to meet the demands of the Melillense citizens. “Our goal is to work for and for the citizens of Melilla and to find that balance between these connections with passengers and vehicles and that, of course, the city can be supplied and that we can combine all this with the issue of goods,” he said.
Fundamental maritime connection
“The Spanish Government has worked tirelessly to protect connections and improve services,” he said, while making it clear that his goal is “for the Melillenses to travel with higher quality services, linked to the drop in prices.”
In the words of the Delegate, “maritime connections are fundamental. It seems that a long time has passed, but not so long has passed, we all remember the pandemic and thanks to the maritime connections, we Melillenses were able to attend, for example, to essential topics, such as medical visits or patients who could receive their oncological treatments. by