Costa Blanca-No place for sleeping policemen

BENIDORM residents are complaining about the sleeping policemen that the Costa Blanca resort’s town hall has installed in recent months. Speedbumps added to Avenida de la Comunidad Valenciana, Avenida Severo Ochoa and Avenida Alfonso Puchades amongst others are “excessive” some drivers said. Driving in these and other streets is uncomfortable and damages shock absorbers, said critics who have started an online petition against “unnecessary” speed bumps. The town hall should remove most of the recently-added sleeping policemen, leaving only those that are really needed near schools or health centres, the petition organisers maintained. Those in Avenida de la Comunidad Valenciana, Avenida Alfonso Puchades and Calle Cuenca should be the first to go, the online petition added. Complaints about the speed bumps have also appeared on social media, including many from drivers claiming that they have damaged their vehicles. Others pointed out that the jolting is also uncomfortable for those heading for the private hospital in Avenida Alfonso Puchades. Not everyone opposes the sleeping policeman and other methods aimed at obliging motorists to slow down and others believe that drivers should respect Benidorm’s speed limits. If they slowed down, neither cars nor motorcycles would suffer damage, they said, although a car’s suspension can always be replaced “but not a person’s life.”