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A Highly Profitable Radar at the Franco-Spanish Border
Positioned in October 2024 along the N-II national road in La Jonquera, this radar has ticketed over 50,000 drivers within four months, averaging about 400 flashes per day. Located near the Gran Jonquera shopping center, which is popular among French cross-border shoppers and tourists for its attractive prices, it monitors a road section with a speed limit of 60 km/h. Consequently, a flood of speeding tickets has predominantly affected vehicles registered in France.
French Drivers Bear the Brunt
According to data from the Girona delegation, 64% of the recorded violations involve foreign vehicles, with a significant majority being French. Residents of the Pyrénées-Orientales and Occitanie regularly cross the border to shop. Despite no points being deducted, Spanish authorities still struggle to collect fines from violators. In 2024, only 49% of fines issued to foreign addresses were settled.
Local Opposition
The radar has undoubtedly sparked significant controversy. An activist group named “Stop Radar” criticizes the setup as overly aggressive and even a tourist trap. Some drivers claim to have received over twenty tickets in a few months, sometimes in batches, forcing some to consider taking out loans to pay them off. The mayor of La Jonquera continues to argue that the radar enhances road safety, but the local opposition has already called for its removal.
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A disputed point that adds to the frustration is the actual applicable speed limit on this stretch of road. After a transfer of authority from the state to the municipality, the area is supposed to be classified as urban, thus having a speed limit of 50 km/h. However, the signs still indicate a 60 km/h limit. This discrepancy could call into question the validity of the fines. Recently, the radar was vandalized: black paint was sprayed over its housing, rendering it inoperative.
Towards Stricter Cross-Border Cooperation?
Despite the backlash, the municipality of La Jonquera is determined to intensify efforts to prosecute French drivers. It is calling for stronger European cooperation mechanisms to ensure the enforcement of fines. This radar, nicknamed “the radar of shame,” is becoming a symbol of the ongoing road tensions between cross-border commuters and Catalan authorities.
So, if you’re planning a shopping trip to the area in the upcoming weeks, you might want to slow down, or else your trip could end up being much less profitable than expected!