Spain will rise tomorrow called to a general strike. This strike will affect the country’s public services, from hospitals to schools, courts and, of course, public transport. We leave a little guide on how Spain will work tomorrow, to give you an idea.
What minimum services will have public transport? The Ministry of Public Works has agreed with unions on minimum services both in the air transport and railway. The agreement provides for at least 10% of mainland flights between the nine major cities. The figure rises to 50% in the case of travel between the mainland and the islands and Ceuta and Melilla. Also are covered between 20% and 40% of international flights.
For trains, the pact amounts to commuter services and the AVE high-speed train. According to the Renfe website, the suburban trains in Madrid, Asturias, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cantabria, Málaga, Murcia, Seville, San Sebastian, Valencia and Zaragoza will keep 25% of trains of a normal day and a 30% during peak times.
This means that at Malaga Airport will depart only one in ten planes with destination to other Spanish cities. If you had planned to travel to a European Union country there is a high probability that you will have to stay in Malaga as only 20% of international flights to the EU will be in operation.
In the case of rail, the margin for movement is also reduced. There will be functioning only 20% of high-speed trains. Regarding the suburban train between Malaga, Airport and Fuengirola, there will be a minimum service only at peak hours and only one train per hour.
If you think about catching a bus in Malaga, you must be patient. At peak times there will be one of every four vehicles providing the service and the rest of the day, from 9:00 to 18:00 and 21:00 to 0:00 – just one. In the case of taxis, employers in the sector have decided to give freedom to their members to do or not to strike.
We thus recommend travelers going to Malaga airport tomorrow booking a private transport or transfer in order to arrive at time at the airport. Anyway there may be important delays on the airport access road, so please make sure to leave early.
Some companies, such as Iberia and Air Europa have announced that they will facilitate the exchange of tickets already purchased for that day. Airlines such as Ryanair or Spanair have not given any statement.
