The commercial sector of the center of Mataró (Mataró) is disappointed by the lack of institutional support from the City Council and by the management of projects that, they claim, affect their businesses. The delay in the urbanization works on Sant Josep Street, where the machines are still working with the Christmas campaign having already started, or the management of mobility with private vehicles in the city center are the main impacts.
"There are too many impediments," exclaims the president of Negocio Empresa Mataró (NEM), Xavier Martín. The entity demands "empathy" on the part of the council so that the city beats: "A city without commerce is a dead city." Martín admits that although the delay in the works on Sant Josep Street is due to some archaeological findings that had the work stopped for a few days, the seriousness of the situation lies in the "lack of foresight" of the City Council. Currently the works are in their final section, where the affected street connects with the Riera, the main pedestrian artery of the center.
"If it had already been open, circulation would have been more fluid and people would return," says Martín in relation to the impact on the works during the 'Black Friday' weekend that kicked off the Christmas campaign. . The merchants also extend their criticism to the management of mobility in this area of the city.
According to the Center's Pla d'Impulso, the passage of private vehicles is restricted from ten thirty in the morning to give priority to pedestrians. However, the passage of trucks, vans and cars is constant after this time. For this reason, the sector requests more support from the administration and help from the Economic Promotion area of the City Council. "There is no empathy with commerce or business," laments the president of the entity.
Merchants have also presented their Christmas campaign for these holidays, with the galet as the protagonist. Eight giant gallet sculptures have been placed in the streets of the city center and fifteen restaurants and pastry shops have made creations with gallets, both sweet and savory.
