The Partido Popular (PP) has expressed alarm over the implications of rising fuel prices and the neglect of railway infrastructure on the freight transport sector in Jaén. During a meeting in Bailén, the party's candidates for Congress, Luis Mariano Camacho and Mariola Aranda, engaged with Pedro Ramos, president of the Provincial Association of Freight Transport Entrepreneurs of Jaén (Asotramer), to discuss the challenges facing this vital sector for the province's economy and employment.
Asotramer represents approximately 800 companies and over 4,000 vehicles, making it one of the largest associations of its kind in Spain. Camacho lamented that a sector crucial to the country continues to be overlooked by the government, which he claims is more focused on its internal issues than on addressing the real needs of workers and business owners. He highlighted the particularly severe impact of high fuel prices on professionals, alongside rising operational costs and a lack of effective measures to ensure the viability of many businesses.
The situation is exacerbated by the province's lack of railway connections. Camacho noted, “It is now even more complicated without trains, as hundreds of tonnes of goods that used to be transported daily by rail from Linares-Baeza are now forced onto the roads.” He emphasised the importance of the upcoming elections on 29 November, suggesting that they present an opportunity for necessary change under the leadership of Alberto Núñez Feijóo, stating, “When transport stops, Spain stops.” He pledged to bring the issues raised by Asotramer to Congress.
Representatives from Asotramer also voiced their concerns regarding the state of the roads, the lack of secure parking facilities, and the government's failure to deliver on promised fuel discounts for transporters. This meeting is part of a series of engagements the PP is conducting with various productive sectors to listen to their concerns and relay their demands to the relevant institutions.
