SECURITY in Madrid is at its tightest ever this coming week as Spain's capital gets ready to host the latest NATO Summit – in fact, residents and commuters have been urged to work from home if their jobs allow for it.
City-dwellers have even been asked to try to avoid using their cars if they can during the three days of the Summit – which runs from Tuesday, June 28 to Thursday, June 30 inclusive.
NATO's headquarters in Brussels, Belgum (photo from the organisation's website, Nato.int)
The metro station closest to the IFEMA exhibition centre will be closed to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for safety reasons, and streets and the rail network will be monitored by police and private security 24 hours a day.
To make sure everyone living and working in Madrid is aware of the restrictions, megaphones, social media, and 700 giant digital screens have been broadcasting information and recommendations since Friday.
Round-the-clock monitoring of public transport started on Friday as a dry-run for the Summit, so that security forces would be fully prepared for the task from Monday, June 27 onwards.
From that day until after midnight on Thursday, anyone who needs to travel to or within the capital is 'recommended to and thanked in advance for' using public transport rather than private vehicles, in order to keep traffic to a minimum in the city, according to notices set up by authorities.
With over half a million vehicles entering Madrid every day, gridlock is very likely due to numerous roads being closed, so any unnecessary travel is advised against, and companies are asked to let their staff work from home if they can.
In light of the expected spike in passengers, metro services on Lines 1, 5, 6 and 10 will increase by 10% and, if needed, also on Lines 4 and 9.
Extra personnel have been drafted in for the metro stations at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas international airport terminals one to three, and for the Terminal 4 stop and the next station along, Mar de Cristal.
Changes have been made to bus routes and to the metro Line 171, to ensure passengers can still reach the public hospital on the latter, and to give the IFEMA a wide berth.
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