Valencian ITV Service Returns to Public Management

After 25 years of privatisation, the operation of the mandatory Inspección Técnica de Vehículos (ITV), has returned to public management in the Valencia region, and whereas it is hoped the move will not be as disastrous as the reversal was for Torrevieja hospital, the sector itself is warning of “chaos”.

The reversal comes after months of confrontations and accusations by the concessionary companies. The Asociación de Entidades Concesionarias de la Comunitat Valenciana para la Inspección Técnica de Vehículos (Aecova-ITV) has insisted on multiple occasions that the administration is not "trained" to assume the service yet and has warned of "chaos and collapse", demanding a new extension that would guarantee a "calm" transition.

However, the Ministry of Sustainable Economy rejected their argument with the Minister, Rafa Climent, saying on Thursday that "there should not be any problem" and "all the steps have been done properly."

The reversal of the ITV was part of the Botànic II agreement: to recover the service that was privatized in 1997 under the government of former Partido Popular president, Eduardo Zaplana, a Minister who, coincidentally, is currently facing corruption charges in an unrelated case.

After announcing the reversal, the Generalitat commissioned a report from the consulting firm Nuve Consulting which concluded that, with the direct management of the service, the net profits for the Generalitat's purse, once all expenses were paid, would be 39.3 million euro per year.

Climent announced a reversion plan in three phases, lasting until 2026. The first, 'preparation', was scheduled until December 2022, the date on which the concessions expired, but the Generalitat had to extend the concessions to compensate the ITV companies for the closure of the service during the pandemic.

The second phase would be that of 'consolidation' in 2023, and from 2024 to 2026 the 'expansion' phase will take place with the construction of new ITV stations and the hiring of the new personnel necessary for the provision of services.

Now, as the first batch of Covid extended contracts expired on Friday, the doors have close on the privatised operation, and open on Monday morning under the umbrella of the new public company, Sociedad Valenciana de ITV SA.

Specifically, last Friday the contracts ended for the ITV stations in Alcoy, Benidorm, Gandia, Ondara, Ontinyent, Orihuela-San Bartolomé, Redován, Torrevieja, Utiel, Villena, Vinaròs and Xàtiva. On March 3 it will be the turn of Alicante, Alzira, Castelló, Catarroja, Elche, Llíria, Massalfassar, Riba-roja de Túria, San Antonio de Benagéber, ValenciaCampanario, Valencia-Vara de Quart and Vila-real.

On Thursday, the public company officially launched the new appointment website for the ITV inspection, www.sitval.com, which unifies in a single tool the online appointment service that until now was available through different portals.

According to the Ministry of Sustainable Economy, the objective of the reversion is to improve the efficiency, competitiveness and quality of the service, in addition to reducing rates and expanding the service with new stations. In this sense, the construction of a new one in Torrent is planned and others will go from being mobile centres to fixed. The ITV centre at Pilar de la Horadada for example is classed as a mobile unit, dependant on the ITV Orihuela-San Bartolomé centre. It should be noted however that under national legislation, you are free to have your vehicle inspected at any ITV test centre around the country, and so you are able to choose a cheaper option if it is better for you, although you will of course have to travel to that centre.

Ex Barcelona player Alves to remain in Jail

The Provincial Court held a hearing last Thursday to resolve an appeal filed by the former Barça and Sevilla player, who requested his release on bail. Alves, who is being investigated for alleged sexual assault on a 23-year-old girl in a Barcelona nightclub on December