Spain's DGT Launches Pilar Holiday Traffic Operation for 5.76 Million Long-Distance Trips
Spain's Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), part of the Ministry of the Interior, announced on October 8 that its special traffic operation for the Pilar holiday will begin at 3 p.m. on October 9 and run until midnight on Monday, October 12. Over the four days, Spain's roads are expected to carry 5.76 million long-distance trips, an average of 1.44 million a day, mainly toward coastal and mountain leisure areas, second homes and towns celebrating patronal festivals, above all around Zaragoza and in the Valencian Community, where October 9 is a holiday.
To keep traffic safe and moving, the DGT will deploy its maximum available staff, including Traffic Group officers of the Guardia Civil, air unit personnel, traffic management centre staff and road maintenance crews, together with fixed and mobile speed radars, helicopters, drones and cameras monitoring mobile phone use and seat belts. A nationwide campaign against distracted driving will also run until October 11. The DGT notes that distraction is the most common contributing factor in road crashes in Spain and the most frequent factor in fatal ones.
Day by day, Friday October 9 will see heavy outbound traffic in the afternoon, peaking between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.; on Saturday October 10, flows out of large cities and toward coastal and mountain areas will remain intense between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Sunday October 11 will be dominated by short leisure trips; and on Monday October 12, a national holiday, the return operation will begin in the early afternoon, with the hardest period expected between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m.
The DGT advises travellers to plan ahead, avoid the busiest hours where possible, and check road conditions through its website, the 011 telephone service, radio and television bulletins or its social media accounts. During the operation, roadworks affecting traffic will be halted, sporting events restricted, and trucks, special transports and dangerous-goods vehicles limited on designated sections and times; additional and reversible lanes and alternative itineraries will be provided where safety conditions allow. (Source: Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), Spain)
Source: Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), Spain
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：西班牙公路交通（资料图）。Wikimedia Commons 开放授权。 / Photo: Highway traffic in Spain (file photo). Wikimedia Commons, open license.
