Especially, after the end of the hibernation of certain economic sectors last Monday, which implied a change "that we had to monitor to adapt transport to new circumstances," according to the minister.
For this reason, the supply of transport in the Cercanías was increased and preventive measures were adopted such as the reservation of trains and machinist at strategic points, the increase in surveillance at stations, the reinforcement of signaling and public address systems and the recommendation of the use of forms of transport that allow us to maintain greater social distance such as walking, cycling or private vehicle.
The minister stressed that "citizens continue to fulfill their collective and social responsibility." This is reflected in the data from the major international technologies, which indicate that "Spain is one of the countries in which confinement is being met the most," and also those of the mobility study of Mitma himself with Big Data technology and anonymous geolocation of mobile devices, available daily on the Ministry's website, which indicates that "about 30 million Spaniards are at home."
Ábalos, in addition, has reported that from Mitma "we are already working, modeling and forecasting future scenarios, because the transport and mobility sector has and will have a key role." In this sense, he expressed that "we have to take into account that transport, mainly urban transport, will be subjected to a significant level of stress and for this reason it is necessary to design a safe system in advance and coordinated with other factors and also administrations" .
Mitma has received more than 8 million masks
On the other hand, the Ministry continues with the distribution of masks for transport workers. Until this Friday, more than 600,000 masks have been delivered to more than 75,000 carriers and, stresses the minister, "tomorrow we will begin the distribution of new shipments with which the number of masks received by Mitma will amount to about 8 million." In addition, remember "that these masks are also intended for workers of public land transport of regional and local competition."
The head of the Department has reviewed some of the measures carried out by the Ministry this week, among which is the authorization of the Council of Ministers to raise the spending ceiling of the Ministry, which will allow it to develop the line of guarantees intended to facilitate the payment of rents to tenants in vulnerable situations by COVID-19.
Likewise, the minister has valued the disinfection work in certain municipalities in charge of vehicles of the General Directorate of Roads or the more than 1,600 toilets benefited by the free Renfe services, which also participates in the transport of pieces of robots to do PCR test.
Ábalos has not wanted to forget the work of Aena, which has already operated a hundred cargo flights dedicated to the transfer of medical equipment, assuming the cost of airport tariffs, and, in addition, to guarantee inter-island air service in the Balearic and Canary Islands.
Public services and unity
In his speech, the minister has again called for unity to combat COVID-19, and "put the focus on the search for solutions, value the strength of solidarity between administrations, between generations and between individuals because Ultimately, shouldering is the patriotism we need. "
Ábalos has announced that today the President of the Government, in the videoconference that he has held with the presidents of the autonomous communities, has also offered an inter-institutional agreement between the Government of Spain and the autonomous communities as part of that great agreement for National Reconstruction. This institutional agreement will also be extended tomorrow to the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.
The minister also declared that the president has summoned the autonomous communities to reach an agreement in the matter of education to offer certainty and also to be able to organize the next the beginning of the next school year.
In addition, it has announced that an additional 14,000 million euros will be distributed among the autonomous communities for greater liquidity through different financial instruments, specifically the autonomous financing system and the autonomous liquidity fund, and financial facility, among other instruments .
The head of the Department has also highlighted the value of public services in a situation like the one we live in because "a society can better resist adversity if it houses strong public goods and services capable of protecting us all."
On the other hand, Ábalos believes that "more and more people will appreciate the importance of a strong Welfare State, with residences that we can trust when we leave our elders, that guarantees income to families suffering from poverty, that provides of a housing policy that leaves no one homeless or that has mechanisms to make credit reach families and companies when they need it most. "
