All the candles lit to all the saints were of no use in getting the urban bus through its ITV (vehicle roadworthiness test). The mayor of Manilva, Jose Manuel Fernández, in statements to this newsroom, admits that despite the efforts being made to keep the service running properly, the legacy they have found is a long way from what a municipality like Manilva deserves, and what should have been fixed years ago cannot be fixed in two months.
A problem with a couple of seat belts has prevented the ITV from being passed, but the faults were repaired immediately after the vehicle arrived in Manilva. In all likelihood, on Monday, once it has completed the first services of the morning, which are the most needed by residents, the vehicle will return to Algeciras for the second ITV inspection, which is expected to be passed as no other faults have been detected. Under the regulations, a vehicle that has failed its ITV is not permitted to travel on public roads, except to correct the faults and return to the ITV station for a new inspection.
It is a day on which residents look with some envy at neighbouring San Roque, which today presented two new urban buses, fully adapted for people with reduced mobility and with capacity for 35 passengers, with USB chargers for passengers and soon to have an app allowing users to see at any time where the bus is and how long remains until it reaches the stop.
Bus users in Manilva dream of the day when news like this reaches our town, but for the moment, the news regarding the process of acquiring a new vehicle for urban transport pushes back the date of a possible launch to early 2024.
