Neither by Train nor by Car: The Chaos of Mobility Exposes the Shame of the Pro-Independence Movement

This week we have witnessed new chaos in the Cercanías train service in Catalonia. ERC and PSC agreed on a transfer that led to the threat of a strike by Renfe and Adif workers. This has caused another day of delays and canceled trains, which is starting to become the norm for a service more typical of third-world countries.

But this is not the only mobility problem. The removal of tolls on the AP-7 highway, the busiest in all of Catalonia, has increased accidents. Although it has a capacity of 5,200 vehicles per hour, it absorbs more than 7,000.

To avoid traffic jams and accidents, the Govern de la Generalitat has considered limiting the speed to 37 mph (60 km/h) in some sections. It is part of a package of measures that includes variable speed over 93 miles (150 kilometers), more radars, and the use of artificial intelligence. Instead of improving infrastructure, they decide to reduce speed to unimaginable limits for a normal highway trip.

The result is that passengers will need much more time to reach their destination. In pro-independence Catalonia, the middle classes and workers can't move normally by car or train. It is the consequence of decisions made by a political class increasingly detached from the daily lives of citizens.

More Taxes, Less Quality of Services

The chaos of the trains and the tragedy of the highways in Catalonia leave citizens without an alternative to move safely. While politicians blame each other, the middle classes and workers bear the brunt of their decisions. This contradicts the main narrative of both PSC and ERC.

Oriol Junqueras has been saying for months that he wants to turn ERC into the party of the working class and social policies. After years of governing, and now as partners of the Govern, they have not been able to ensure even that workers arrive on time to their jobs.

PSC started the legislature with social policies as one of its main axes. But the chaos in the railway network is a detriment to one of the basic services of the citizens, which is mobility.

Both PSC and ERC are also against lowering taxes and continue subjecting Catalans to a fiscal hell. Catalan citizens pay more taxes than in any other Spanish community and have the worst services. The pro-independence parties keep blaming Spain, but now they have no excuse.

Political Failure in Catalonia

The political failure of the last decade in Catalonia has been reflected in the deterioration of services and quality of life. Once the derailment of the Procés was consummated, the pro-independence parties compete to capitalize on the solutions to these problems. ERC with Rodalies, for example, and Junts with immigration.

But these parties often reach agreements with the central government that are then not fulfilled or can't be materialized. It is part of the political praxis of these parties, accustomed to governing through permanent gesticulation. This then leads to fiascos like the trains.

Another characteristic of power in Catalonia is the distance of politicians from the citizens. This leads to decisions like the speed limit on the AP-7. Decisions like this make it increasingly difficult to live in Catalonia unless you belong to the ruling elite.