Benidorm adapts the traffic light system in Ruzafa street for the blind

Benidorm City Council today launched the events organised in the city for European Mobility Week 2025, which will run until September 22nd under the slogan "Mobility for All." More than 3,000 localities across Europe are participating in the event to promote the use of public transport and other more sustainable forms of mobility.

Benidorm City Council's Mobility Councillor, Francis Muñoz; the director of ONCE in Benidorm and the region, Vicente Vázquez; members of the organisation, accompanied by the Councillor for the Presidency, Juan Díaz, and municipal technicians, led this first Mobility Week event, which aims to highlight the city's accessible pedestrian routes.

The activity began in Plaza de la Hispanidad. A short walk that covered Valencia, Pérez Llorca, and Gambo streets and ended on Ruzafa Street.

Throughout this walk, participants appreciated the acoustic pavement markings that allow blind people to walk on public roads.

At the end of the walk, at the traffic light-controlled crossing on Ruzafa Street, the municipal Technical Services commissioned the city's first traffic light-controlled crossing, adapted so that "blind people," Muñoz noted, "can cross more safely." The councillor clarified that it is "a remote control; approved" by ONCE (National Commission for the Protection of the Blind) and used by its members, which emits an audible warning while the light is green "for crossing in complete safety."

Councillor Francis Muñoz explained that this initiative is "the result of active listening and the ongoing collaboration we have with various organisations, in this case with ONCE," and that, with it, "the City Council continues to take steps to facilitate mobility and make it safer and more accessible for all people, regardless of their abilities."

EMW 2025 Program

The celebration of European Mobility Week continues tomorrow, Wednesday, on Calle Italia, where activities and games will be held for schoolchildren from the Els Tolls and Puig Campana public schools. In addition, there will be a stand to show students all the signs they may encounter on their school routes, so they can learn about them, identify them, and interact with them.

On Thursday the 18th, an activity on the safe use of electric scooters will be held in the Children's Traffic Park, aimed at secondary, high school, and vocational training students, in collaboration with the Local Police. That same afternoon, bouncy castles and children's games will be set up on Avenida de l'Ametlla de Mar, between 5 and 8 p.m., so that "the little ones have their space, can occupy the public road for a day, and have fun in spaces that should also be for pedestrians."

On Friday, the 19th, Urban Transport Day will be celebrated. In collaboration with the bus concessionaire, Avanza, an agreement has been reached to make transfers free for urban line users. The city also plans to introduce a new line, line 26, which will use a minibus to cover the route around Avenida de Venezuela, the Foietes health and speciality centre, and its surrounding areas.

On Saturday, the Plaza de Sant Jordi de España will host a charity bicycle market between 5 and 6 p.m., where citizens can bring bicycles they no longer use from their homes so they can be donated to an NGO that will give them a second life among people in need.

The following day, on Sunday, September 21st, the charity race "En primera línea" will begin at 9:00 a.m., organised by Benidorm Local Police Cultural Association in collaboration with Aspanion (Association of Mothers and Fathers of Children with Cancer in the Valencian Community), with the involvement of Benidorm City Council.

Finally, on Monday, the 22nd, "Car-Free Day" will be celebrated. Traffic will be further restricted on Paseo de Poniente, on Avenida de la Armada Española, between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., with access limited to fords and public transport only. Likewise, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Alcalde José Such Ortega Street will also be closed to traffic, where bouncy castles and other children's games will be set up to mark the culmination of Mobility Week.

To complement all these activities, the city is also participating from today until the 22nd in the "Walk for your city" challenge, an initiative that counts the number of steps taken by residents of each city. Anyone who wishes to join can do so through the free "Walk15" mobile app. At the end of the week, the places that have collected the most steps for this cause will be awarded prizes, promoting not only more sustainable mobility but also well-being and healthier lifestyles.