Spaniards Cry Out For The Activity Of Oran-Alicante Maritime Passengers’ Line
Spanish departments estimated the losses of the city of Alicante due to the closure of the sea line for travellers linking it to Oran (western Algeria) since the spread of Coronavirus, at more than 180 million euros.
The famous Spanish newspaper “La Vanguardia” reported in an investigation published on Sunday that the cancellation of 120 cruises since March of last year between the city of Alicante and Oran eliminated a large commercial movement that the city was witnessing, noting that it is one of the negative economic and social consequences which appeared clear on the city as a result of the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic, which especially affected local companies that were trading with the Algerians.
The Spanish newspaper transmitted the testimonies of customs’ agents in the port of Alicante about the mobility that existed before the closure of the sealine.
The newspaper estimated the value of commercial transactions in the city and its suburbs during each stop of the sea transport ship for travellers coming from Algeria at about one million to one and a half million euros, which means that since the service interruption and the closure of the maritime line in March 2020 until now the losses have exceeded 180 million euros, given the number of annual voyages, which is 120, and which is considered an important number, according to the newspaper, given that the region suffers from the largest decrease in GDP and one of the largest increases in unemployment in Spain.
The newspaper mentioned a decline in economic activities in the city, such as merchants of shoes, clothes, electrical appliances, perfumes, cosmetics and phones. On the other hand, the Algerians used to bring limited commodities such as dates and some fish.
A customs agent at the port of Alicante expressed his hope that there would be similar lines to the Oran line due to the great economic dynamism it represents, explaining that many did not pay enough attention to closing the sea line to travellers, but the relationship with Algeria and the sea line provides wealth to the city.
In the same context, an informed source at the National Corporation for the Travelers’ Maritime Transport told Echorouk that it recently started transporting trucks and vehicles stuck in Algeria that belong to expatriates in Europe, through the port of Marseille or Toulon in southern France, and bringing Algerian vehicles from Europe that were purchased via the Mujahideen licenses or new cars.
The same source stated that the company also intends to carry out the activity of shipping goods and products to Spain, intending to achieve some revenues in light of not selling a single ticket since March 2020, indicating that every cruise can be shipped through between 250 to 300 cars, but the yield remains weak considering the fuel price problem.