Madrid, June 30 (EFE).- Around 4.5 million vehicles will move on Spanish roads between this Friday afternoon and Sunday midnight in the first major traffic operation of the summer, trips in which from Saturday, July 1, it will not be necessary to use the triangles on highways and dual carriageways.
The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) forecasts 95 million long-distance journeys during July and August, 1.75% more than the previous year.
During the month of July, 45.6 million trips are expected and 49.3 million in August.
Warning triangles will no longer be required on highways and dual carriageways to avoid the danger that their placement entails, but they will continue to be necessary on conventional roads.
Radars, helicopters and drones
In order to respond to the large number of trips that are going to take place, Tráfico will have all its means, both human and technical, which include fixed and mobile speed control radars, helicopters, drones, cameras and camouflaged vans to control the use mobile phone and seat belt.
As has been customary in recent years, the departure and return of the holidays will be carried out in stages and in shorter periods, making them coincide on numerous occasions with a weekend.
For this reason, the DGT has established special traffic regulation and control devices every weekend of the summer period, which will be intensified during the first of each month, giving rise to the so-called departure or return operations.
five special ops
This Friday begins the “first summer operation” that will end on Sunday, July 2 and will be followed by the “August 1st operation”, from July 28 to August 1; the “operation August 15”, from the 11th to the 15th of that month; the “summer return operation”, from August 31 to September 3; and the “special devices” of the weekends.
The DGT recalls that traffic in summer has different characteristics, since long-distance journeys increase on weekdays and, above all, on weekends.
On the other hand, there is less conflict in the accesses to the big cities at rush hour for entering and leaving the work centers and greater vehicle traffic on secondary roads.
In addition, night trips are increasing, there are complications on roads that connect coastal towns and coastal tourist areas with the beaches, and there is a greater presence of cyclists and pedestrians.
700,000 vehicles in Operation Crossing the Strait
Likewise, in summer there is a greater circulation of foreign vehicles whose drivers are not used to the itineraries on which they circulate.
Among them are citizens from Europe who are heading to their countries of origin in Africa during the so-called Operation Crossing the Strait, in which more than 700,000 vehicles are expected to transit our roads.
There is also the Passage to Portugal, in which the DGT, in coordination with the Portuguese authorities, will serve another 250,000 vehicles that, from France, will circulate on Spanish roads for the holidays.
During special operations and on weekends, reversible and additional lanes with cones and beacons will be installed during the hours of greatest traffic flow and alternative itineraries will be established.