The local government has obtained 732,000 euros from various sources, primarily the Ivace and the Conselleria de Turisme, which channel European Union funds. These grants, involving a 50% or 55% co-financing, will be allocated to the purchase of four electric buses, the creation of a digital study room, and advancements in the digitalization of the traffic control and management system and urban mobility.
Through the investment for electric buses, managed by Ivace, the council avoids directly bearing the cost of acquiring this new fleet. These vehicles will ensure that over 70% of the municipal fleet is now electric or hybrid, thereby increasing sustainability.
The Conselleria de Turisme has released over 70,000 euros in European funds for the implementation of a pilot study room in Altabix. This room, with a total value of 150,000 euros (the remainder funded by the council), will be equipped with tablets, laptops, efficient lighting, and adapted zones for interviews or video calls.
The most significant investment, amounting to 400,000 euros also through Ivace, will be used for the acquisition of new cameras and panels for the 'Vive Elche' plan, focused on urban mobility. According to councilor Claudio Guilabert, these new cameras will enhance traffic flow, provide insights into vehicle profiles, and gather statistical data to aid in planning road closures or their use during events.
Approximately fifty new cameras are planned, adding to the existing seventy. The goal is to accumulate data for management from the Data Office, also measuring pollution. These cameras will serve a triple purpose: environmental monitoring, traffic analysis, and general vehicle characteristic data. Guilabert notes that, for now, real-time pollution information panels will not be installed, although the data is accessible on the municipal website.
Additionally, cameras will be installed at upcoming city access points, such as the Ronda Norte and Ronda Sur, as well as at park-and-ride facilities located in areas like Candalix, the Hort del Gat, or the vicinity of the Martínez Valero stadium. Efforts are also underway to create some of these park-and-ride facilities in areas like El Kelme.
