Soon You’ll “need” This App To Drive Between France And Spain – Here’s Why

If you often return nan AP-7 motorway betwixt France and Spain, get fresh for a change. The Catalan Traffic Service (Servei Català de Trànsit, SCT) has conscionable announced that a brand-new app is being developed – and while it won’t technically beryllium mandatory, they opportunity downloading it will soon beryllium ‘necessary’ if you want to thrust that way without headaches.

The reason? The AP-7, 1 of Spain’s busiest roads, has seen a crisp emergence successful accidents successful caller months, galore involving lorries. The caller app intends to support drivers safer and amended informed – and hopefully forestall nan benignant of monolithic tailbacks that person precocious paralysed nan motorway.

Real-time alerts consecutive to your phone

This isn’t conscionable different navigation tool. Unlike Google Maps aliases Waze, nan SCT’s caller app will nonstop real-time sound alerts straight to your telephone based connected your nonstop location. If there’s an accident, roadworthy closure, aliases emergency specified arsenic flooding, drivers adjacent will perceive an contiguous informing done nan app, helping them alteration their way aliases slow down successful time.

Ramon Lamiel, nan SCT’s director, explained successful an question and reply pinch El Periódico that nan thought came aft erstwhile talks pinch awesome navigation companies didn’t cookware out.

“We’ve had a agelong narration pinch Google Maps and besides met pinch Waze to see virtual signs broadcasting charismatic sound messages astir motorway closures. Unfortunately, that task didn’t spell ahead. That’s why we’re processing our ain app, which will service arsenic an alert strategy connected nan AP-7,” he said.

For now, nan caller strategy will motorboat exclusively connected nan AP-7, nan motorway linking nan French separator pinch Barcelona, wherever mishap rates person climbed significantly.

Born retired of Chaos connected nan AP-7

To understand why this app is being taken truthful seriously, you only person to look astatine what happened recently. On November 8, a awesome lorry clang unopen down nan motorway successful nan southbound guidance towards Barcelona. The conception betwixt L’Ametlla de Mar and L’Ampolla was closed for complete 30 hours.

Thousands of drivers heading location aft nan play recovered themselves trapped successful endless queues, wholly unaware of nan closure ahead. “Many drivers had nary thought nan motorway was blocked and ended up spending hours stuck successful traffic,” section media reported.

That was nan moment, according to nan SCT, erstwhile it became clear thing had to change.

The extremity of nan upcoming app is simple: make judge drivers are warned instantly erstwhile thing goes wrong. No much relying connected societal media, power updates, aliases connection of rima to find retired that nan motorway is blocked 10 kilometres ahead. Instead, an alert will popular up connected your phone, letting you return nan adjacent exit aliases debar nan area entirely.

Not Mandatory  but difficult to thrust without

Lamiel insists nan app won’t beryllium ‘mandatory’ successful nan ineligible sense, but admits it will go basal for anyone who wants to recreation calmly on nan AP-7.

The motorway is 1 of nan main routes connecting France and Spain, and it’s particularly engaged during holidays and weekends, pinch a operation of tourists, commuters, and long-haul trucks.

“If drivers cognize nan app gives them sound alerts while driving, we’re convinced they’ll download it,” Lamiel said.

The app’s motorboat is aimed not conscionable astatine locals but besides astatine world drivers, particularly those crossing nan border. Since galore mightiness not understand Catalan aliases Spanish roadworthy signs, nan SCT plans to make nan strategy accessible and multilingual, ensuring that visitors person nan aforesaid real-time information alerts arsenic section drivers.

Coming by nan End of 2026

The SCT expects improvement of nan app to statesman successful January 2026, pinch nan extremity of releasing it to nan nationalist by December of nan aforesaid year.

The first type will screen only nan AP-7, but if it proves effective, it could later grow to different awesome Catalan roads.

For now, nan task is being described arsenic a information companion, not a navigation replacement. It won’t switch Google Maps, but alternatively complement it – focusing solely connected charismatic postulation alerts from nan Catalan authorities, delivered instantly to your telephone arsenic you drive.

Lamiel hopes that erstwhile group spot really useful it is, downloading it will beryllium a no-brainer. “We want drivers to subordinate nan app pinch bid of mind,” he said.

Driving into a smarter (and Safer) Future

The AP-7 has agelong been a root of vexation for drivers – from monolithic summertime tailbacks to predominant lorry crashes. The SCT’s caller app intends to bring immoderate bid to that chaos by connecting drivers straight pinch real-time updates from roadworthy authorities.

It’s a elemental thought pinch perchance immense results: less surprises, faster reactions, and safer journeys betwixt France and Spain.

So, while it won’t beryllium a ineligible requirement, 1 thing’s clear – by precocious 2026, driving nan AP-7 without nan app mightiness consciousness for illustration flying blind.

Stay tuned pinch Euro Weekly News for nan latest news astir Motoring