The PSOE spokesperson in Benaoján, Soraya García, supports the works on the MA-7401 but condemns the total closure and the misinformation to residents.
The total closure of the MA-7401 road, which connects Ronda with Benaoján, has sparked criticism from the socialist spokesperson in the Benaoján Town Hall, Soraya García. The road will remain closed until 15:00 on Friday, July 24, due to repair works for landslides that began in June. García has expressed her support for the work, a long-standing demand, but has harshly questioned the planning of the closure, which, she says, has ignored the impact on residents and businesses in the area.
A necessary project, but poorly organised
“No one questions that the work was necessary; on the contrary, we have been demanding it for years,” said García, who was mayor of Benaoján until the Provincial Council took on the commitment to execute it in 2022. However, she has differentiated between supporting the work and the way the closure has been organised. “Supporting the work is one thing, and supporting how it has been planned is something very different,” she stated.
According to the spokesperson, the Provincial Council has prioritised execution and costs, but has not taken into account “the consequences for the people of our municipalities of Benaoján, Montejaque, Jimera de Líbar, and Cortes de la Frontera.” The total closure of the road, she said, is having an enormous impact on residents, especially on self-employed individuals and small businesses, who are facing increased costs due to lost time in travel and decreased competitiveness in towns where tourism and industrial activity are essential.
Lack of safety on the alternative route
García has also expressed her concern about the alternative road established during the closure. She believes it “does not meet the conditions to handle that increased volume of traffic with the necessary safety.” She added that there is a lack of information provided to users, an aspect that, in her opinion, “is what angers users the most.”
The spokesperson has called for greater institutional involvement in communication with the public. “The town halls, but especially that of Benaoján, should have maintained clearer and more constant communication so that residents could properly organise their work and lives,” she stated.
A call for empathy and humanity
The socialist spokesperson insisted that the inconveniences arising from a project of this nature are inevitable, but stressed that a different planning could have been avoided. “The inconveniences of a project are inevitable, I insist. What was not inevitable was a planning that did not take into account the impact on the territory or a management of information that has generated so much uncertainty, with an absolute lack of empathy and humanity towards the users of this road between Ronda and Benaoján,” she concluded.
The residents of Benaoján, Montejaque, Jimera de Líbar, and Cortes de la Frontera are the most affected by the closure. Many of them depend on this road for their daily commutes to work, to the doctor, or to take their children to school in Ronda. The alternative route, which runs through secondary roads, lengthens journeys and, according to drivers, is dangerous in some sections.
The Málaga Provincial Council, responsible for the work, has not commented on the criticisms. The action, which began in June, aims to repair the damage caused by landslides at several points along the road. The expected timeline for the total completion of the works has not been specified, although the current closure will last at least until Friday, July 24.
Meanwhile, those affected hope that the administration will improve information and study possible alternatives to minimise the inconveniences. The PSOE spokesperson has indicated that her group will continue to demand greater sensitivity towards citizens.
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