Vigo is not the only provincial capital that is already thinking about Christmas lighting. The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has assured this Thursday that the municipal government has the "intention to turn on Christmas" in the city and therefore maintain the lights that populate the city during that time of year, since they represent a “relatively low” cost and “come in handy” for the productive sector and tourism.
“Of course we intend to light up Christmas in the city of Madrid. It is a relatively low cost, LED technology is used and, at the same time, I think that above all it is a claim for our productive sectors and our economic sectors”, Almeida said in an interview on Onda Cero.
The councilor believes that "any measure from the administrations that helps and does not harm our productive sector must be taken and must be adopted."
“That is the philosophy that we have in the Madrid City Council, also shared by the Government of the Community of Madrid, and in that sense, of course, I believe that Madrid's lighting is important, it is very useful for our productive sector, for our tourism, commercial, hotel and catering sector, and we intend to maintain it”, he reiterated.
How energy saving policies will affect Christmas lighting in Spanish cities remains unknown, and Almeida has also been asked if he thinks they will end up affecting streetlights.
“Lampposts are already an issue that can have a direct impact on citizen security. In that sense, you have to be very cautious with certain measures that may be considered at a moment's notice", he replied, and said he was sure that "other measures different from those that may affect the normal functioning of the city" could be adopted. , and, in this case, to citizen security.
Asked about how the rise in energy and supply prices affects the City Council, Almeida pointed out that the delegate for the Environment and Mobility, Borja Carabante, recently told him that “only as a consequence of the increase in the prices of energy this year was going to have an impact of 80 million euros more in spending” in the Municipal Transport Company (EMT).
The increase in prices also affects the works that take place "throughout the city", added the mayor, who has recognized that "we have many open works" in the capital.
“I ask for patience and understanding, because I am sure that as they run out, citizens will tend to forget the inconvenience and appreciate the improvement it brings to our public space. But it is true that significant increases are also taking place” in this area, he added.
Almeida stressed that these situations can be solved "by managing more and better, managing more effectively and more efficiently", and, therefore, "using available public resources in the best possible way".
"That is what we are working on right now, absorbing all the increases that are taking place, whether derived from supplies or energy", but at the same time they are working on an "important" issue, and that is "if the next year there are budgets, we are sure that they will also result in a reduction in taxes", that is, in that the money of the people of Madrid stays "in their pocket" without there being "any reduction in our public services, which is important , Almeida has riveted.
