The escalators that connect Sant Joan square with El Canyeret, in Lleida, have been out of service for at least half a year, according to residents, merchants, and regular users of this access, which overcomes a 10-meter drop to the courthouse area.
The breakdown is not new. Those who pass by this point daily maintain that the last time they were operational was during the Autumn Festivities, at the end of last September. A court official explains that they worked for a few days for institutional events and that shortly after they stopped again.
"They worked two or three days for the institutional events, but shortly after they broke down again and since then they have not been put back into operation" - court official
The elevator also presents problems
The situation becomes complicated because the elevator located next to the well-known Sant Joan flan, the only barrier-free way to access the courts from the square, also has deficiencies. Workers in the area assure that it is not uncommon to find it out of order and report that, when both incidents coincide, some people have needed help to go up or down between El Canyeret and the square.
"It's dirty, it's slow, and it gives the feeling of abandonment. Any day now it will stop working" - local worker
The complaints especially point to the impact that this situation has on elderly people, users with reduced mobility, or citizens who go to judicial dependencies. Rosa, a worker in the area, summarizes the discontent that has settled among those who use this passage habitually.
"It's third-world. There are elderly people and people with crutches who cannot go up. It's inadmissible" - Rosa, worker
Complaints about dirt, vandalism, and lack of control
In addition to the lack of operation, several testimonies warn of the deterioration of the environment. Yolanda, an employee of a nearby business, assures that the escalators were already stopped before she started working six months ago. She also denounces that the space has become a usual gathering point for young people, with accumulation of garbage and damage to the furniture.
"It has become a constant meeting point for young people, as if it were a nightclub. They throw down fences, leave trash, and the appearance is horrible" - Yolanda, a shop employee
The same worker adds that conflicts and arguments are frequent in the area, a situation that, she maintains, has forced recurrent interventions by police forces. Along the same lines, Óscar, owner of another establishment, describes continuous uncivil use of the access and demands more surveillance.
"There are always groups below, they press the buttons, block the way and end up ruining everything. Without surveillance, this continues the same" - Óscar, owner of an establishment
The city council studies a comprehensive renovation
Faced with this scenario, the city council is considering a comprehensive renovation of the escalators. The council admits that maintenance is increasingly costly and complex due to the age of the installation and the difficulty in finding spare parts. The municipal administration considers it essential, in any case, to preserve this infrastructure for its role in overcoming the steep slope between Sant Joan square and Canyeret.
The escalators entered service in June 1992, almost 34 years ago, and since they were put into operation, they have suffered breakdowns recurrently. Those who work or pass through the area remember that it has not been uncommon for them to remain days or even weeks without functioning. The difference now is the duration of the last stoppage and the feeling of accumulated deterioration in one of the most used accesses to the judicial environment of Canyeret.