Lorraine Williamson
MALAGA – A newly installed speed camera at the entrance to San Pedro Alcántara, Marbella, has quickly become a talking point on the Costa del Sol. Set just before the tunnel from Puerto Banús direction, the camera has drawn widespread ridicule. Drivers say the location is absurd, as daily tailbacks make speeding almost impossible.
Photos of the camera were shared across social media within hours of its appearance. The reaction was swift: “Surely this must be a joke — you can’t even reach 20 km/h here in rush hour,” one driver posted. Others suggested the only thing the device will catch is queues of frustrated motorists inching forward in gridlock.
Waste of money, say locals
Many residents argue the installation is less about safety and more about poor planning. Critics say it is a waste of public funds to monitor speed in an area where traffic barely moves. Instead, they argue, investment should focus on easing congestion, repairing roads, or — more urgently — addressing the region’s lack of public transport options.
No train, few buses, and costly tolls
The controversy over the San Pedro camera has struck a nerve because of wider mobility problems along the coast. The commuter train from Málaga, which connects directly to the airport and Spain’s high-speed rail network, only runs as far as Fuengirola. Therefore, anyone living, working, or travelling to Marbella and beyond has little choice but to drive.
There is a bus service between Fuengirola and Marbella, with further routes from Marbella’s central station, but these are infrequent, overcrowded in peak season, and unreliable for daily commuters. For many workers and residents, this leaves little alternative but to sit in endless jams on the A-7 or pay for the expensive AP-7 toll road. Parking shortages in Marbella add to the daily struggle.
A symbol of wider frustration
@LorraineWilliamson
Against this backdrop, the new San Pedro speed camera has become more than just a meme. For many locals, it symbolises the mismatch between official road policy and the lived experience of Costa del Sol residents. While the aim may be to improve safety, the reality is that congestion, poor planning, and a lack of transport options are the real dangers.
Whether this speed camera ever fines a driver for going too fast remains to be seen. For now, it has captured something else entirely: the anger of a community stuck between gridlock, crowded buses, and toll roads, with no train service in sight.