An escalating problem in Calpe

INAUGURATING the escalator in Calle Alcalde Vicente Pastor in Calpe’s steep Old Quarter was not without problems.
Scheduled for Friday August 6, this was delayed until the following Monday as the escalator could not be started up and the town hall had to contact the contractors.
It came to a halt the following morning, requiring another visit from the installers who managed to get it going but left it running all night instead of programming it to stop at 11pm as they had done the previous day.
This led to more complaints, as the escalator’s lighting shone into adjoining houses, obliging residents to close curtains, blinds and balconies despite the high night-time temperature.
Inaugurating the escalator Calpe’s mayor Ana Sala explained that many Old Quarter residents were elderly with mobility problems.
“This will help them to move more easily on this street as well as others,” she said.  “Without a doubt this will help to revitalise the Old Quarter, a treasure that we must make more accessible.”
Not all Calle Alcalde Vicente Pastor residents agreed with the mayor.  Many felt that the impact of the escalator detracted from the street’s identity and maintained that it is now less accessible for those who need to use a wheelchair.
“It is incomprehensible,” one man told the Spanish-language Press.