The Junta’s Minister for Public Works & Housing, Josefina Cruz (her of the “Brits are scum” comments in Parliament) has very quietly admitted that due to lack of cash the Junta will miss or delay most of the targets in it’s five year Andalucian Transport Plan (PISTA2007-2013).
“The plans were drawn up when there was more money available, and with less money we cannot do as much” she muttered to a reporter in Seville.
She would not be drawn on which projects would be “delayed or missed” but it’s a fair bet that the most expensive transport links -the AVE between Almeria and Granada, upgrading provincial roads to motorways, possibly a few ports- will be quietly shelved and forgotton about for a few years.
The much vaunted AVE connection to the centre of Almeria city is again being delayed as the private sector hasn’t come up with as much cash as the city needs, and there is another 7 off million euro hole in the budget nobody can fill.
I noticed that a spokesman from an industrial transport group was whinging the other day about the reduction in the budget for road upkeep… pothole city, here we come!