The delegate of the Government of Spain in Castilla y León, Virginia Barcones, has visited the ‘Penguins 2023’ biker concentration that is held until this Sunday, January 15 in Valladolid and has valued the “convening capacity” of the organizers, the Club Turismoto, since it is expected that 40,000 participants can be reached during the four days of the event, which started on Thursday.
In view of the attendance data, the representative of the Government of Spain in Castilla y León has highlighted “the economic impact” generated by the appointment but, also, she has added, “the good image that it projects of the province of Valladolid and of Castilla y León”. “This promises to be a historic event in terms of participation, but also in organization”, she considered, congratulating the promoters, the Turismoto club, for “year after year, managing to convert
Valladolid in the motorcycle capital and to be the largest winter biker concentration in Europe”. For four days, the autonomous community is located in “the epicenter of lovers of two wheels” but also of the hundreds of tourists who travel during those days to enjoy the extensive program that Turismoto has prepared, highlighted Barcones, who has stated that she feels, as head of the Government in Castilla y León, “proud of what Pingüinos represents”.
Accompanied by the Government sub-delegate in Valladolid, Alicia Villar, by the regional coordinator of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), Inmaculada Matías; and by the lieutenant colonel head of the sector of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard (ATGC) of Castilla y León, Francisco Iturralde, the representative of the Government in Castilla y León has visited the tent that the DGT has installed in the premises to inform and make motorcyclists aware of the consequences of some risky behaviours.
Located in the camping area of the Pingüinos biker concentration, located in the old horse riding center of Valladolid, various activities have been taking place at the DGT stand throughout these days. The stand has several areas in which, in addition to general information on various supports, individual attention is given by officials from the Valladolid Provincial Headquarters and personnel from the Traffic Group of the Valladolid Civil Guard to anyone you want it
In this edition, those who are approached by the DGT burden can also learn about the measures included in the 2030 Road Safety Strategy referring to motorists to be implemented throughout the decade. In addition, at the stand there is awareness with various material on the negative influence of alcohol and other drugs on driving, and you can see different infographics related to the road safety of motorists and obtain information related to the balance of the permit by points or the review of the ITV.
Precisely in this sense, the delegate recalled that for the DGT motorcyclists are one of the “vulnerable groups” and, therefore, a priority in the interventions to be carried out. “Motorcycle trips imply a risk of injury between 20 and 40 times higher than that corresponding to a car user,” he pointed out, asking the participants “caution, prudence and respect for the rules” so that “the party does not look Patty”.
PENDING CLIMATOLOGY
In addition, he recalled, that this Sunday, January 15, a fully winter episode begins that will probably continue during the next week and a change in the trend in the weather conditions is expected.
“Although no warning has been activated in Valladolid at the moment, rains are expected tomorrow and a minimum of three degrees,” he indicated. In the community, he added, “there is a yellow alert in Burgos, León, Palencia and Soria due to snowfall during the early hours and on Sunday morning, and five centimeters of snow could be reached from 1,300 meters, and two centimeters at elevations between 1,000 and 1,100 meters”. For this reason, “because also Sunday is the day of return”, the delegate has insisted that, “before setting off, the situation of the roads and the weather forecast be reviewed through the DGT and the AEMET”.
In addition, he has reviewed, as a novelty this year, the Castilla y León State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) is issuing specific and localized forecasts on Valladolid and the area in which the main Penguin events take place since Monday, “so that they can have the information with a single click”.
300 PROFESSIONALS ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE APPOINTMENT
The delegate thanked the “climate of coexistence and camaraderie” that is breathed in the biker concentration. To guarantee the security of the event, both at the level of traffic and citizen security, the Government maintains deployed during the four days of the concentration more than 300 people among agents of the Civil Guard, National Police, personnel from the Traffic Management Center and of the AEMET.
For this reason, Barcones thanked the work of “the more than 150 agents of the Traffic Association and the DGT” who ensure safety on the roads and work “to get those who do not comply with the rules off the road”. as well as the 150 National Police officers who work in the event, in coordination with the Crazy Police.
The operation arranged to ensure the safety of the thousands of drivers and tourists who visit Valladolid these days was activated last Thursday and will be active until Sunday morning to cover the return of attendees.