DRIVERS are queuing for 45 minutes to get back into Spain as authorities scramble to ensure COVID safety measures are obeyed. 

Frustrated motorists have complained of lengthy waits as Spanish border guards bring traffic flow in and out of Gibraltar to a standstill during rush hour to check documents. 

Visitors — including Spaniards travelling to Gibraltar to work —  told the Olive Press they were cooped up in the cars for up to an hour at a time. 

British expat Anna, who works in Gibraltar, told Olive Press: “Before the pandemic it would take me between 20 and 30 minutes to get out.” 

The 24-year-old added: “Now during rush hour we face around 45minutes of queues.” 

For many, blocking access roads to and from Gibraltar is an echo of the bad old days when Spanish authorities engineered deliberate delays under the fascist dictatorship of General Franco in the 1960s. 

The aim was always to show that Spain — which claims Gibraltar as its territory — could be cut off at any time.

Now drivers have raised concerns that the delays are a result of Brexit. 

These claims however were dismissed by the Gibraltar government who told the Olive Press they had ‘not detected any longer queues than normal because of Brexit’ but admitted traffic had increased after travel restrictions between La Linea and the Rock were removed.  

Travel flow has increased since La Linea has removed its perimeter lockdown,” a government spokesman told The Olive Press. ‘We have not detected any longer queues than usual because of Brexit. 

The spokesman noted that there would also be less travel than usual because of restrictions in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

“As restrictions still apply to enter Spain due to Covid, the Spanish authorities have on occasions had to request further documents from persons,” they said. 

Subscribe to the Olive Press

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.