La Rambla businesses up in arms

Two EMT bus stops at the beginning of La Rambla and the only stop that was in the centre of the street have been eliminated.

The President of Pimeco, Antoni Fuster, says the Councillor of Mobilitat, Francesc Dalmau told him that the changes are part of a restructuring project.

"They have made it clear that they are not going to back down and there’s been a total lack of communication and coordination with the commercial sector when making these decisions,” said Fuster.

María José Montiel who’s been working in La Rambla's pharmacy for 42 years says losing the EMT stop nearby has affected their takings.

”It has hurt us a lot, because when people used to get on or off the bus at Carrer del Carme they came to the pharmacy, but now the stop is gone so they go to another shop instead,” he said.

Montiel isn’t the only one complaining, the florists on La Rambla and the owner of Rambla’s Café, Gabriela Jiménez, have also a significant dip in trade.

“Having a bus stop nearby brought us a lot of people, who came at noon, parked their car and drank coffee, now they don't do it anymore,” said Gabriela.

There have also been complaints about the relocation of loading and unloading in the street with traders claiming that the rubbish containers don’t leave enough room for the trucks to stop.

“They are pushing us away,” says Gabriela, “now people who go down Jaume III can only turn towards Passeig del Born, they can’t access La Rambla and that’s killing the street.”