Melilla’s Councillor for Citizen Security, José Ronda Inglés, has urged Morocco to expedite border crossings after a significant traffic jam caused delays of up to ten hours for over a thousand vehicles on Sunday.
The incident occurred during the peak of Operation Crossing the Straits (OPE).
Ronda expressed concerns over the situation, emphasizing that local police faced challenges due to the slow pace of processing vehicles on the Moroccan side.
Ronda presented evidence suggesting a disparity in traffic flow, with a congested Spanish border contrasting with an empty Moroccan side. This imbalance, he said, created a critical situation demanding immediate action.
The councillor explained that the backlog resulted from the arrival of two ships carrying approximately 300 vehicles each on Sunday morning, followed by another 300 more at midday.
Coupled with local vehicles seeking to cross into Morocco, this influx led to severe congestion.
While acknowledging alternative routes for Melilla-registered vehicles, Ronda warned that a bottleneck inevitably forms when a large volume of traffic converges at the border. He reiterated his call for Morocco to accelerate border procedures.
The councillor attributed the problems to an unusually high volume of vehicles on Sunday, emphasizing the strain on local resources despite the deployment of multiple police units and support services.
Ronda clarified that while the autonomous city is providing support for OPE, the operation’s primary responsibility lies with the central government.
Ronda stressed Melilla’s commitment to facilitating border crossings but also highlighted the challenges posed by the heavy traffic.
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