A clean, safe and well-connected city for Christmas
As ever, a special joint operation is being organised over the Christmas period to guarantee safety, mobility and cleaning services all around the city. The City Police and the Catalan police (Mossos d’Esquadra) will be stepping up their presence, with mixed patrols in shopping hubs and areas which get crowded.
The measures being taken as part of the Christmas operation apply to all city districts and will be intensified in the city centre and around the main shopping areas. Specific operations will also be in place for New Year’s Eve, the Three Kings Parade and the Three Kings Fair in the Gran Via.
Safety and prevention
The mixed patrols by the City Police and the Mossos are designed to put them in close contact with the public, taking on a role of prevention in the busiest areas and in shopping hubs. Uniformed offices will be working to prevent offences being committed and keeping on top of any infringements which may offend others or disturb local people’s hours of rest. Surveillance on the metro and measures to control unauthorised vending will also be stepped up.
Due to the increased volume of journeys made by people, another important measure will be to prevent traffic congestion, with steps being taken to maintain the flow of traffic and facilitate mobility for pedestrians and vehicles. Action will be taken against double-parked vehicles and those which affect the circulation of public transport.
At the same time, the police will be increasing breathalysing and drug-testing checkpoints to reduce accidents and the number of road traffic victims in a period with numerous celebrations. Particular attention will be paid to accident black spots in the city and a specific operation will be in place on New Year’s Eve.
The City Police will also be checking noise pollution in the streets and at nightlife venues to prevent any inconvenience caused by build-ups of people in public spaces at night.
Public transport
People are recommended to use public transport to get around the city centre. On 24 December the metro closes at 11 pm. On Fridays and on the eve of public holidays the service will operate until 2 am.
As ever, the metro will operate all through the night on New Year’s Eve.
Cleaning and roadworks
Street-cleaning services will be stepped up too over the festive period, particularly in the densest pedestrian areas. Extra services will also be laid on to collect commercial and domestic waste.
Permission will not be given over the Christmas period for work which affects streets in the city centre, the areas around municipal markets and the main roads in Barcelona.
