Pamplona (EFE).- Navarra has officially assumed this Saturday, July 1, the exclusive powers of Traffic and Road Safety, a process that will last for several years and in which the Provincial Police will assume a greater role with new powers until now exercised together with the civil Guard.
The Government of Navarra hopes to have the “catwalk” ready by the last four-month period of the year so that Civil Guard Traffic agents can request their integration into the Foral Police, with the aim of joining them in 2024.
When it is known how many traffic civil guards apply to join the Provincial Police, an OPE will be convened to complete a total of 149 new troops, which will be added to the 227 that the Traffic and Road Safety area currently has. Civil Guard agents who do not want to continue in Traffic may join the Provincial Police in other units of the autonomous body.
The agreement with the State includes ten functions and services that are transferred to the Foral Community: management of sanctions, management of driving schools and driver recognition centers, re-education courses and recovery of points, education campaigns and road training, surveillance and control of roads, sports events or authorization of events with historic vehicles.
The document establishes a period of progressive implementation and a transitory regime, in order to guarantee full, progressive and adequate assumption by the Foral Community.
Surveillance and traffic control progressively
Thus, the deployment of Provincial Police officers to monitor and control traffic will take place progressively over a maximum period of four years. After that period, the Foral Police will assume the tasks of surveillance and control of roads exclusively in a definitive way in the same situation that the Basque Country and Catalonia currently have.
Regarding the processing, resolution and collection of sanctions, it will correspond to the State Administration until December 31, 2024 regardless of the police force that makes the complaint. As of January 1, 2025, the processing, resolution and collection of sanctioning files will correspond to Navarra.
The cost estimated by the Government of Navarra to carry out the development of the services and functions to be assumed is approximately 15 million euros.
All the governments that have existed in Navarre, since in 1998 President Miguel Sanz (UPN) agreed with Minister Mariano Rajoy (PP) to open negotiations, have tried to get the Foral Community to assume responsibility for Traffic. It is a right that is included in the Improvement of the Fuero de Navarra, which is 40 years old, and has not yet been carried out.
Following the Government’s budget pact with EH Bildu, which included the assumption of Traffic by the Government of Navarra, there have been many and very different reactions, but in recent years it is an issue that has been present at times such as the State Debate of the Nation or the investiture of Pedro Sánchez.