The new date for the on-off suspension of the Vélez-Málaga to Torre del Mar tram service is ‘late May’ according to the latest reports.
The tram service has suffered a decline in passenger numbers since its introduction and the Council is unable and unwilling to continue subsidising the service on its own. There have been repeated attempts to persuade the Junta de Andalucia to subsidise the service but to no avail.
The Council has built up a huge debt to the operating company Travelsa. Suspending the service is expected to save the Council around €1.7 million per year. The mayor of Vélez-Málaga, Francisco Delgado, maintains however that the suspension of the service is only temporary and will be lifted when the Junta de Andalucia becomes involved in the financing of the tram.