LA LINEA MAYOR PLANS TOLL ON GIBRALTARIAN VISITORS.

[Don Madge]

Breaking news 9th August 2010

LA LINEA MAYOR PLANS TOLL ON GIBRALTARIAN VISITORS.

 

La Linea Mayor Alejandro Sanchez shows no signs of backing down on his plan to impose a toll for cars as they enter Spain from Gibraltar. At a press conference today he made clear that the only people certain to be exempt will be persons resident in La Linea of whatever EU nationality. Gibraltarians may now have to pay to visit Spain.

 

He plans to impose the toll as from October 12 but will tomorrow start works and, on a date to be announced, non-La Linea resident cars will be diverted through the centre of the town.

 

The toll will be up to 5 euros per car but much higher for goods and other vehicles especially those carrying rubble because, he says, these will affect La Linea’s beaches.

 

See also http://www.chronicle.gi/

 

Safe travelling.

 

Don

[BGD]

According to the Spanish national press, the Andalucian Regional Governmnet has already commented that this guy is mad. Literally mad. Honestly.

 

He's got a long history of loony ideas.

 

Apparently he hasn't got the constitutional authority to do this anyway.....but we'll see how it develops.

[hallii]

He may be not so mad.

 

I was in La Linea and Gib about two years back.

 

The runway at Gibraltar is right on the Spanish border, the extension over the sea required dumping large amounts of rubble into the sea, right alongside La Linea beach.

 

This is quite likely to affect the beach in some way, the currents are complex around there so it would need someone more qualified to comment.

 

The runway extension is just another little way the Gibraltarians have found to irritate their neighbours.

 

Gibraltar is British,but it is about time they found a way to have some sort of working arrangement with the Spanish.

 

I suspect the Mayors proposal is simply a ploy to get recognition of a genuine

complaint at a National level.

 

It looks like it might have worked!

 

Hallii

[Porky]

We called in at Gib. earlier this year. Didn,t like it one bit. A large quantity of properties are empty all year due to the tax breaks (no death duties, capital gains, income tax as I understand it) and very very expensive. I have some sympathy for people working there who want to go into Spain but La Linea is not pretty by a long way with very poor housing close to Gib. Also it may be British but you do not get free medical care there as I found when I needed an xray on my back. Cost £150 !!!!!! Will not go back again thank you*-)*-)

 

Roy Fuller

[Guest pelmetman]

Back in the mid 70's I spent 3 years at HMS Rooke the naval shore base, and in those days the border was shut. So if you wanted to go to spain you had to get the ferry to Tangiers then back to spain *-) Which I had to do to bring back the car I bought in Gib, still saved a packet as it was tax free, the only time I ever made money on a car :-D

 

The Spanish have never been happy with the Brits being in Gib, they only opened the border because they wanted to join the common market (lol)

 

Incidentally whilst there I was in charge of looking after a couple of camper vans bought for all 3 services to hire, I recall one was an Autohomes Highwayman and the other a Autosleeper pop top both on the sherpa base.

My first experiance of the camper van way of life was in Morocco acting as a driver for a fellow matelot and his family who could not drive. Interesting trip B-)

[mondo]

Surely this is against EU Law!! and the EU Constitution...I thought there was supposed to be open borders and the like this is like charging residents of the Isle of Wight to come to the mainland..Like you say keep an eye open and see how it developes

 

I lived in Gibraltar for 2 years (1983/85) whilst in HM Forces serving with 1DWR and found Gib to be a bit of an enigma a lot of the population didn't particularly like the Brits being there some of em thought the sun literally shone from you however when they were in a group the all spoke the corrupted Spanglish/Gibraltarian dialect so you could'nt tell what they were saying..very ignorant I always thought.As one of the lads summed it up one day in the families bar just before we left.."Sliding down the bannister of life I shall remember Gib as a big spell in my ar***"

[BGD]

"Surely this is against EU Law!! and the EU Constitution...I thought there was supposed to be open borders and the like this is like charging residents of the Isle of Wight to come to the mainland..Like you say keep an eye open and see how it developes......"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, yes and no.

 

The problem is that Spain doesn't, and never has, recognised that the tiny piece of previously Spanish coastal land known as "Gibraltar" that was taken from it by Britain by force, belongs to anyone other than Spain.

It doesn't recognise the British claim to it; never has, never will.

 

And thus Spain does not recognise Gibraltar as being a part of the EU.....eg Spain only allows you to bring the "non-EU" amounts fo tobacco/booze out from Gib into Spain; and the Spanish border control checks passports on the way out

 

So Gibraltar remains a historical anachronism.

A little like Hong Kong was to China whilst it was under British rule.

 

 

 

In practice, at the moment it's sort of "British" and sort of "Spanish", and it muddles by.

The Spanish Government has no desire at all to piss off anyone else by taking it back by force; and anyway it does quite well economically from the rock the way things are at present.

 

 

 

 

In the very (very very!) long term, it's almost certain to return to Spanish governance. But don't hold yer breath......

 

 

[duffers]

BGD - 2010-08-10 5:11 PM

 

 

The problem is that Spain doesn't, and never has, recognised that the tiny piece of previously Spanish coastal land known as "Gibraltar" that was taken from it by Britain by force, belongs to anyone other than Spain.

It doesn't recognise the British claim to it; never has, never will.

 

And thus Spain does not recognise Gibraltar as being a part of the EU.....eg Spain only allows you to bring the "non-EU" amounts fo tobacco/booze out from Gib into Spain; and the Spanish border control checks passports on the way out

 

So Gibraltar remains a historical anachronism.

A little like Hong Kong was to China whilst it was under British rule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

not to mention Ceuta and Melilla - which very few people ever do,

certainly not the Spanish

 

they are obviously subject to different rules

 

it should also be noted that the Spanish had not been in control of Gibraltar for that long anyway - hardly a well established part of their country when control passed over to GB

 

 

I was in Algeciras not long after Franco closed the border, and I saw how badly the Gibraltarians were treated then.

I believe the runaway is the problem that it is because the Spanish refused to allow flights in and out of Gibraltar to fly over their airspace

 

they should be allowed the right of self-determination - even though this was not a feature of the Treaty of Utrecht - when Minorca also came under British Rule.

 

 

 

 

[sooty10]

We lived on the Costa Del Sol for 20yrs so have been to Gib many times. I think it is a very interesting place to visit for a day with lots of history to the place. We have seen many disruptions at the border but I think this is a step too far.

 

I will believe this story when it happens, I think NEVER.

 

Sooty10