The points system is having its second birthday this month. The free daily newspaper Qué! reports that since Spain instituted the points system in 2006, 4.1 million points have been taken away and 7,162 people have completely lost their licences. Points are lost by any number of reasons, including speeding, running red lights, driving without a seatbelt and drunk driving. During the course of this year, there have been 244 less deaths as consequence of driving accidents than last year, a 20% decrease.

Spanish lawmakers must see this as an opportunity to step up the safe driving campaign at the same time as they tweak other aspects of the traffic law. Up until now, new drivers have started with 8 points, while those who have driven for 3+ years started out with 12. Starting next July (2009), those who haven’t committed any driving infractions in 3 years will be rewarded with two additional points, bringing the maximum total up to 14. Keep up the safe driving folks… just because we get a few extra points doesn’t mean we should drive pedal to the metal now.

If you’re expecting to hire a car in Malaga or anywhere else in Spain really, consider yourself forewarned. First, the hard facts: recently reformed penal codes require an offence charge for drivers caught passing the speed limits by 60 km/h within city limits or by 80 km/h on the highway. This kind of charge can carry from 3 to 6 months jail time, no laughing matter to say the least. And even if you’re only speeding marginally, according to the Spanish points system, they’ll also drain your licence of between 2 and 6 points as well. (Drivers with a clean record generally start out with 12 points.)

Thought that was it? Wait, there’s more! Beginning yesterday, the government has implemented a two-week bout of radar checkpoints across the country. They’re setting them up on secondary highways, along with safety reminders on electronic panels and radio messages. In Malaga alone, they’re planning to control about 50,000 vehicles, an average of about 3,000 a day.

The Spanish authorities are doing a notable job of cracking down on irresponsible behaviour on the road, with the intention of reducing the number of accidents. So before you get into speed-demon mode behind the wheel of your car hire, think twice. Or even three times… cause it will certainly be worth your while!

This weekend, follow the signs to "La Feria de los Pueblos y las Ciudades de Málaga," your ticket to see and even try out some local flavours. Venue: the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos, the large exhibition building right off the highway in Malaga, near the intersection of the A-7 ring road and the Cartama highway. Entrance is free, and you’ll get a glimpse of the small-town life from around the Malaga province, including booths about bullfighting, flamenco and plenty of food samples. From the 180+ exhibitors, you’ll see typical olive oils, wines, cheeses, sausages and even more unique malagueño items like sweet wine, almond cakes, fig bread, raisins, olives and lard-cooked pork… and most of these you can try out! The fair opened on Thursday and continues until Sunday – open from 11am-8:30pm – and of course you can also use this chance to purchase these items and more. Besides the cultural, they’ve also made an effort to bring in a wider audience with offerings for youngin’s: a stand for playing Wii, a comic strip/book workshop, and a number of theatre and juggling acts. Nothing to lose, come check it out! Oh and if you need a ride, skip the uncertainty of Malaga’s taxis and call our partner MalagaTaxis.co.uk – a courteous, multilingual driver will get you there in a flash.

Did we think taxis might escape rising prices in the transport realm? Well, taxi rates are going up just like everything else. Of course that’s something almost expected nowadays to happen once a year. However, Malaga’s taxi companies aren’t just raising fees; they’ve also changed the pricing structure, eliminating a special category for weekends. Instead they’ve added a surcharge of 2 Euros across the board for late-night/early-morning trips (between 00:00 and 07:00), making these trips a minimum of 6 Euros now. Other notable increases are in the airport trip minimums and surcharges, which are summarized in these tables.

These changes take effect today, in time to capture the massive flow of tourists coming in at the start of Spain’s high season: Semana Santa, Easter’s Holy Week. Having said that, you can see how complicated the fees are, and not to mention the mess you can get into of cab drivers not accepting certain travellers. We don’t like surprises any more than you do when it comes to the bottom line or doggedly searching for a willing driver after arriving from a long journey. Give Cheap Car Hire Malaga a chance; we think you’ll enjoy the first-rate services at rock-bottom prices.

Malaga’s Semana Santa processions are famous – people cram together like sardines in the downtown area just to get a glimpse of the brotherhoods carrying religious images (tronos) on their shoulders. But since there are so many processions - each starting and ending at distinct spots around the city - and a record number of people, it can become tough to get from one to another or even attempt to see one in several spots of its traversal. Malaga’s urban bus company EMT is hoping to accommodate this influx of population by increasing the number of available buses, which will open an additional 45,000 seats per day. They will also make information available about the procession routes via electronic panels on the sidewalks, on each of their 250 buses, printed itineraries and SMS mobile phone updates. Sending the word TRONO to 7210 will cost you 90 cents, but you’ll know in real-time where the processions are.

EMT is putting its best face forward for the occasion, but last week it barely saved face from possible embarrassment and large loss of business. The workers had threatened to strike during Semana Santa, but agreed to the proposed salary increase over the next 4 years. The inter-city bus line Alsina Graells wasn’t so lucky, however. After the British company National Express purchased them in October, they announced some policy changes and staff cuts. So, the trade union CGT is planning a worker strike to start during Holy Week. It will take effect at 00:00 on Monday the 17th and last until midnight Wednesday, and a second period from 00:00 on Easter Sunday until 24 March.

If you’re looking for a reliable way to get around yourself, check out our cheap car hire options. If you don’t feel up to the challenge of learning a new place in the middle of a busy tourist season, you may be better off with a private transfer from our recommended partner, Economy Transfer.

Ever wondered what a high-speed train is like from the cab, or how in the world the drivers can make decisions so quickly when reaching speeds of 300 km/h? Even though the high-speed realm is relatively new to Malaga (see previous post), its inner workings are getting a workover throughout Europe. A new system is being implemented in stages to decrease reliance on and eventually eliminate track-side signals, and since this means less driver interaction, it will allow for increased speeds. When you’re going 300 km/h, you don’t have time to see a signal outside, react and make a 300-ton train slow down before reaching a switch or station. The new system with an impressive acronym (ERTMS - European Railway Traffic Management System) uses GSM-R radio signals to pull data from track sensors and communicate train positioning, velocity, braking guides and other stats to the driver and control centres. You can read more about ERTMS from the Union of the European Railway Industries, who even has videos showing this technology’s guts in a very simple manner.

Ave high-speed trains are using at least level-1 ERTMS, including those coming into Malaga. Signalling will be discussed in the next World Conference on High-Speed Sign System, which will be held in Malaga, interestingly enough. According to the Spanish government, this congress will bring together rail operators, infrastructure managers, and service providers from around the world.

In order to help our clients and all other people visiting Malaga and Spain we would like to collect most of the travel tips and advice you should know before you leave your country to make your trip safer and more comfortable.

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