Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic, the national authority responsible for managing traffic, road safety, and driver licensing, has launched Operation Salida, an initiative to handle traffic and curb road accidents. DGT has undertaken this operation due to the expectation of more vehicle movements compared to 2024 – an increase of 2.5 per cent in the Andalucía region. Out of this 2.5 per cent increase, forecast for 221,600 travels are only for Malaga province over this first weekend. This could be due to the immense popularity of the Malaga province because of its mesmerising beaches, historical sites and culture.
More about Operation Salida
Operation Salida is not an isolated event taking place in Spain this year. An annual event, this operation takes place during the starting of summer holidays in Spain. It is the first official weekend of the summer holidays in Spain and the citizens will flock to different destinations for their vacations. During this time, Spain’s highways, train stations, and bus terminals experience a massive rise in traffic and over 4.7 million trips are expected this summer. This operation commenced in 2018 in Spain on the weekend of 28th and 29th July. In the initial year of this operation, 1,500 patrol cars were deployed on the roads during the peak time. Roadside checks were also carried out in which the passengers were asked to present their papers, including car registration, driving licence and insurance documents.
Other operations apart from Operation Salida to keep roads safe in Spain
• Operation Salida: July 4–6
• Operation Santiago: July 24–27
• Operation 1 August: August 1–3
• Operation 15 August: August 14–17
• Operation Retorno: August 29–31
During these operations, the administration will utilize resources on the busiest routes and times, and aim to keep roads safe during the outbound and return traffic.
Also read: Seville Summit Kicks Off as Global Leaders Convene in Spain to Tackle Poverty and Climate Crisis