UK Foregn Office gets Spanish assurances about 'congestion charge'

LA LÍNEA/GIBRALTAR (Agencies/GibChronicle/EuropaSur) David Lidington, Minister for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, told the House of Commons that the Spanish government will ensure La Linea abides by Spanish and EU laws in its plans to implement a congestion charge targeting traffic from Gibraltar and that, in its view, the scheme is most likely illegal. “It is for them to resolve the issue,” Mr Lidington said in response to a parliamentary question from Caroline Dinenage, Tory MP for Gosport. “Our priority is to keep the traffic flowing at the border, we believe that the Spanish Government shares this goal. The response came after La Línea Mayor Alejandro Sánchez told local newspaper El Faro in a recent interview that he had "no intention of abandoning" plans to charge a toll for vehicles leaving Gibraltar. However,>
"All indications are that the scope of the scheme has been watered down significantly," as the Chronicle puts it.

Alternative zone
 

Nevertheless, the mayor singled out Gibraltar-linked traffic and said it “collapses and congests La Linea…generating only harm but no benefits”, insisting that the charge would be optional. “It will be paid by those who congest and pollute in the congestion zone, which will be delimited,” he said. “There will be an alternative zone through which citizens will be able to accede without problems.”
The Spanish central government has signalled that it will almost certainly challenge La Linea’s plan as soon as it is presented formally before the Ayuntamiento. Until that happens, Madrid cannot move to block the scheme. Sr Sánchez knows this, hence he and his team are taking their time. "There is no time limit," said Sánchez.

“Given that the Spanish Government has made clear that it will deny La Linea this instrument, we are fine tuning everything to make sure we are not knocked over in the first assault,” he told El Faro.

Relations with Gibraltar

Asked if the congestion charge had damaged relations with Gibraltar, Sr Sánchez replied that La Línea had taken on a stronger position that balanced out the dominant role usually played by Gibraltar in the past.

“La Linea has adopted an institutional role that it had not had until now and which demonstrates that any policy related with Gibraltar is destined to fail unless it takes into account La Linea in its design and execution,” he said.

While saying that he values Chief Minister Peter Caruana on a personal level, the Mayor added that [Caruana] has to understand that my duty is to defend the interests of my town to the last. As mayor, he has to understand that I’m not here to endear myself to anyone, but to defend the interests of my town.”