Cameras Enforce Access in Castro Old Town

Castro-Urdiales began using access-control cameras in its old town on Monday, May 18, as the Cantabrian municipality moved to regulate vehicle entries in streets that the town hall describes as pedestrian-priority areas. Mayor Susana Herrán said the system is intended to improve pedestrian safety, regulate commercial traffic and bring order to vehicle movements in the historic center. The town has paired the launch with a 10-day adaptation period before sanctions begin. (castropuntoradio.es) During that window, residents, traders, hospitality businesses and delivery operators are being informed of the new rules, according to municipal statements and local media reports. ### Which streets are now covered by the cameras? The cameras are installed at access points on La Rúa, San Juan, Ardigales, Juan de la Cosa, Belén at the junction with Arturo Dúo, Nuestra Señora, Avenida de la Constitución and the entrance area to the Paseo Marítimo near the port, according to the town hall’s rollout details. (ondacerocastro.com) Those locations cover the main approaches into the casco histórico, or old town. Onda Cero Castro said the municipality also prepared an information map identifying the affected streets and planned to send letters to people, companies and vehicle owners who usually access those areas. The town hall’s public website and electronic office are listed as the channels for permits and related information. (castropuntoradio.es) ### What changes for deliveries and other commercial vehicles? The new timetable allows commercial vehicles linked to business activity in the old town to circulate from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, with an added Thursday window from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Herrán said. The schedule is one of the clearest operational changes in the rollout because it fixes when loading and unloading traffic can enter pedestrian-priority streets. (castropuntoradio.es) Residents and businesses that need regular access can request authorization through the municipal electronic office or in person at the town hall registry, the municipality said. Onda Cero Castro reported that residents and people with commercial activity will receive a visible permit badge for their vehicles, while permanent authorizations for premises or garages will be granted by the mayor’s office after a Local Police report. (ondacerocastro.com) ### Why did the town hall say it was making the change now? Susana Herrán said the priority was pedestrian safety and better control over vehicle access in restricted areas. In remarks carried by Castro Punto Radio, she said some pedestrian zones were beginning to resemble “almost a highway” because vehicles were entering and circulating without justification or time restrictions. (castropuntoradio.es) The mayor also said the system was meant to coexist with residents and economic activity in the affected streets, not block necessary loading, unloading or resident access. Onda Cero Castro described the measure as part of a broader effort to improve urban mobility, regulate traffic and protect public space in the historic center. (ondacerocastro.com) ### Are fines being issued immediately? The 10-day grace period means there are no sanctions during the initial rollout, according to Onda Cero Castro and Castro Punto Radio. Herrán said the adaptation period began on Monday, May 18. Onda Cero Castro reported that once the period ends, the municipality plans to start applying the local traffic ordinance on Thursday, May 28, including financial penalties for unauthorized entries depending on the type of violation. (castropuntoradio.es) El Diario Montañés summarized the same rollout as the activation of the access-control system with cameras, a 10-day adjustment period and fixed circulation hours for commercial vehicles in pedestrian areas. That framing matches the details given in the town hall-backed local coverage. ### What should residents and businesses watch next? May 28 is the next concrete date in the rollout because that is when sanctions are due to begin after the courtesy period, according to Onda Cero Castro. (castropuntoradio.es) Before then, residents, traders, hospitality operators and delivery firms can apply for authorizations through the Castro-Urdiales electronic office or at the municipal registry, while the town hall distributes information about the streets and schedules covered by the new controls. (ondacerocastro.com) (eldiariomontanes.es)