The haulers, "fed up" with being singled out as the culprits for the state of the AP-7

BarcelonaAmidst the ongoing debate about the current state of the AP-7The haulage companies have spoken out and defended themselves against the opinions that place trucks at the center of the problem. Specifically, the haulage associations demanded this Monday to be able to use the N-340 again to reduce traffic volume on the Ebro section of the AP-7. The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations of Road Transport (Conetrans) and the Tarragona Business Federation of Motor Transport (Feat) stated they are "fed up" with being singled out as responsible for the accident rate and asserted that the problem is insufficient infrastructure. Therefore, they have requested the construction of a third lane on the motorway and the widening of the N-340, as well as the extension of the A-7, which currently ends in Vandellòs and Hospitalet de l'Infant. They also expressed skepticism about the plan recently announced by Trànsit per reduce speed to 80 km/h.

The president of Feat, Joaquim Riudeubas, explained that the "provisional solution" favored by haulers is to eliminate the ban on heavy goods vehicles using the N-340. This option would particularly benefit vehicles making short trips within the region, allowing them to save kilometers and unnecessary travel. They would like to implement this measure until a third lane is added to the highway between Salou and Alcanar. Simultaneously, they have also called for the N-340 to be widened and converted into a dual carriageway between Vandellòs and Hospitalet de l'Infant and Torreblanca (Castellón), where the CV-10 road begins. According to Riudeubas, all of this would help "reduce truck traffic" on the highway. This "liberation" of the N-340, however, does not appear to have been met with enthusiasm by the authorities. As acknowledged by the Secretary General of Feat, Josep Lluís Aymat, the proposal has already been presented at several meetings and has not been well received due to safety concerns. "The N-340 no longer meets national highway standards" since 2018, when trucks were forced to use the motorway and roundabouts and bike lanes were constructed, Aymat admitted. These works were carried out precisely to reduce accidents at one of the most dangerous spots on the Catalan road network.

Lack of investment

However, road transport professionals have emphasized that there is a "lack of infrastructure" and investment that has turned the Ebro section of the highway into a bottleneck. Given this situation, they believe the speed reduction for trucks from 100 km/h to 80 km/h announced by the Catalan Traffic Service may help reduce accidents but will not solve the problem. "If you put a heavy vehicle in one lane and prohibit overtaking, on any uphill section trucks will be going 60 km/h and traffic jams will form," warned Javier Arnedo, president of Conetrans. In this regard, Arnedo reiterated that they are not responsible for the accidents and the highway's gridlock. "If we are to blame, then remove us from the road," he exclaimed. For all these reasons, they expressed that they are "fed up" with the current situation and did not rule out protests and strikes if the problem is not resolved and they are not left to be blamed and "criminalized" for the accidents.