EASTER IS COMING Because of the Easter holidays, next week´s Courier will be out a day early on THURSDAY. Plus, we will have our very own Easter Egg Hunt to keep you busy where you can win some excellent prizes. Don´t miss out, look out for The Courier from your usual outlet next THURSDAY.
Edition 263
www.thecourier.es
Friday 18th March 2016
LAST MINUTE DECISION Beach safety goes to the wire
ALEX TRELINSKI
O
rihuela Costa’s beaches have no lifeguards lined up for the summer season as nobody has bid for a two-year lifeguard and rescue contract, with the tender closing last Monday. As The Courier went to press, no announcement had yet been made over who was going to provide cover over the busy Easter holiday period as from tomorrow (Saturday). Orihuela’s contracts councillor, Francisco Sáez Sironi, said on Tuesday that lifeguard cover would defintely be provided as of tomorrow at a cost of 18 thousand euros. Torrevieja meanwhile will have to rerun its lifeguard tender despite getting a dozen bidders, but Easter cover will be provided by the Cruz Roja, who are also servicing the Guardamar area. The two-year contract with Orihuela council was worth 420 thousand euros per annum with cover being supplied for the 11 beaches of the Orihuela Costa. The authority approved the advertising of the tender on February 16th, which meant that at best, it would have been logistically tight in terms of time for the tender winner to get things going in time for Easter. The new two-year
tender was more comprehensive in its demands which included a defibrillator being available at every beach, with all rescue staff having to be trained in how to use it, plus help in providing better disabled access at four beaches. Francisco Sáez Sironi said this week that the extra demands of the new permanent contract may have put off bidders but that the short-term Easter contract would not feature the extra stipulations, so as to get a service running from tomorrow. No bids were received for the permanent tender by the closing date of Monday, leaving the council in the pressing position of having to find temporary cover for Easter,
as well as repeating the process to find a more permanent solution. No indication was given whether the previous franchise holders, Ambuibérica SL, would be involved at Easter, or whether the Cruz Roja would be looked at as an alternative Meanwhile,Torrevieja's rescue and safety contract is having to be readvertised following a hitch involving three of the dozen bidders for the half a million euro a year tender. Councillor Fanny Serrano said that the monitoring of some of the envelopes with the tender documents in them was not as robust as it should have been and that in the interest of confidentiality and fair play, she wanted to reopen
the process because of what she described as an "oversight". It was announced on Wednesday that the Cruz Roja have been brought in to would provide a lifeguard service over the Easter holiday, and will cover the beaches at La Mata, Los Locos, Cura and Los Náufragos. In other beach related matters, Elche council has told beach bar owners at La Marina village and Arenales del Sol, that must apply for permission to stage any live music events at their venues. Eight kiosks(two less than previously in Arenales, and one fewer in La Marina) have been franchised in a four year contract that finishes in 2019.