DATELINE RONDA TUESDAY JANUARY 5, 2010

AVE IS TOP “PRIORITY”

The AVE high speed rail link for Ronda is a priority for the ministry of public works. That is the answer given to the Partido Popular MP Begoña Chacón who wanted to know the state of play on the project that would bring the AVE from Antequera to the town of the Tajo. Before becoming an MP Chacón had been the PP spokesperson at Ronda town hall and a key member of the previous PA-PP coalition.

The ministry stated that AVE was “a priority” and it was “speeding up” plans for the high speed rail connection between the two towns. Whilst stressing the importance of the link the ministry added that no start date had yet been fixed for the work to start.

Currently a study is underway on the route to be covered by the AVE line which would be different from the existing rail connection over much of the course. The environmental part of the study had been concluded and its conclusions were being examined before the subsequent phases were started.

The environmental report will have to go to the ministry of the environment that would also have to approve the findings before it could issue the Declaration of Environmental Impact (DIA) that was required for the project to proceed.

Currently there are no trains running on the Bobadilla – Ronda – Algeciras line whilst a major upgrade to the track - including new signal and communication systems - is being carried out ahead of its electrification. The initial work had been done at night but because of the difficult terrain and tunnels on the Ronda – Cortes de la Frontera – San Pablo de Buceite stretch the service has been cancelled and buses are transporting passengers instead. The upgrade on the last section between Jimena and Algeciras is at advanced study stage – with one of the proposals that the line should go underground in to the port town.

PP INSISTS PSOE MUST EXPEL MAYOR

The Partido Popular in Málaga province is insisting that PSOE must expel from its ranks the mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, who has been deemed a political turncoat by the national commission that rules on such matters.

The PP’s vice secretary of municipal politics, Manuel Cardeña, stated that the people of Ronda did not want as their mayor a politician who had been named as a political turncoat and in addition had been indicted before the courts in a number of cases.

Cardeña pointed out that PSOE along with the other major parties had signed the anti-turncoat pact and therefore it was bound to comply with its conditions. The mayor of Ronda along with his eight fellow Partido Andalucista councillors had abandoned that party and joined PSOE. As the socialists were in coalition with the PA that means the party now governs with an absolute majority in the town.

Whilst Marín and his team have all joined PSOE they sit as non-aligned councillors. Nonetheless at the last local elections the people of Ronda returned the Partido Andalucista as the largest party but now there is not a single member of the party on the council.

ALMOST 300
The official population of Ronda stands at 36,827 in 2009 that is 295 up on the previous year. However officials say that when the unregistered residents are taken in to account the total is nearer 50,000. Curiously the population hit 33,161 in 1930 but then dropped to 26,170 and has grown since 2001 having gone up and down in the previous years.

MALAGA ROUTES
A Ronda writer, Rafael Flores, has published a book giving the 25 best walking routes in the province of Málaga – Las 25 mejores rutas por las espacios naturales. Málaga covers 7,036 square kilometres and there are five protected areas so naturally it covers the Serranía de Ronda but also the best walks in the Guadalhorce valley, Costa del Sol, Antequera countryside and Axarquía.

CLEAN UP
Over 400 litres of rain fell on Ronda from December 16 up to New Year causing widespread damage to the rural roads and lane network. The Málaga delegate for the environment has visited the area to ascertain what repair works are required. The regional government has ordered a cleaning up of the rivers, which have been blocked with fallen trees and debris.

RURAL BOOST
The Serranía de Ronda has been inundated with rain in recent weeks but it has done nothing to damp the rural tourism market. Over the New Year period there were virtually no vacancies. The demand is as high as at Easter or the public holidays and owners can charge peak rates. Bookings for the festive season started to come in during the summer.

RAIN RECORD
Ronda may feel it is a wet zone with 762 litres of rain over the last year. However that is dry compared with Grazalema that recorded 2,000 litres per square metre making it the wettest area in Spain. Over Christmas 243.6 litres fell on the village and natural park. The wettest year on record was in 1963 when 4,443 litres fell from the skies.

PLEASE MOVE
Every weekend Ronda’s young people gather on the paseo Blas Infante to celebrate the ‘botellón’ late night parties. Now the largely luxury hotels by the Tajo have asked the town hall to move the parties to another location because of complaints from guests. Mayor Antonio Marín says everybody’s interests must be guarded including young peoples – a response that has not pleased the hoteliers.