NOTIGRUPO’S LOCAL NEWS
METROBUS PROJECT, «HEAD BUT NO FEET”: CANACINTRA; POTOSINOS RALLY AGAINST LUMBERING PERMIT IN XILITLA MUNICIPALITY; CITY GIVES FIREFIGHTERS NEW EQUIPMENT.
“Metrobus Project (express city bus from downtown to the Industrial Zone) has a head… but it’s missing its feet”: CANACINTRA Industrial Chamber
Raul Martínez Jiménez, head of the National Tranformation Industry Chamber (CANACINTRA) said that a meeting with the State Urban Development, Housing and Public Works Secretary, is urgent.
The industrial leader was sarcastic when he said they’ve finally found the head of the Metrobus Project, but it’s missing its feet; the Project was designed as a fast transportation system, mainly for workers going to the industrial zone and industrial parks factories, located in the southeast part of the city, the buses are set up to run on Industrias Avenue and has been severely questioned as an insufficient effort at urban development.
Martínez Jiménez expressed surprise at supposed reports that Industrias Avenue will also be restricted to bicycles and motorcycles, which are amply used by factory workers when going to work, “That was not the avenues’ goal, but if it’s to protect cyclists and motorcyclists, we’re okay with it”, he pointed out.
The businessman concluded by saying he was confident that the government will make the best posible decisions for the state.
Potosino society is galvanized against federal permit allowing deforestation of the cloud forest in Xilitla municipality
- Opponents have started a change.org petition to revoke the federal lumbering permit
Municipal and State authorities, federal and state legislators and citizen organizations, have rallied against a federal permit allowing the lumbering in the mountainous “cloud forests” located in the southeastern Huasteca region municipality of Xilitla.
Mayor Javier Pacheco said that it would “kill the ‘magic’ of Xilitla” and he added that he didn’t have any official knowledge of the project.
The Ecology Commission of the State Congress has aked the federal Environment and Natural Resources Department (SEMARNAT) for a repeal of the permit, as the affected area is part of a Protected Land Zone.
In the Federal Senate, San Luis Potosi Senator and former candidate for Governor, Sonia Mendoza, demanded a cancellation of the lumbering license.
In general, all political parties have expressed their disagreement on this confusing situation, as it seems no authority has allowed anything, but there’s a permit that will bring about the deforestation of thousands of acres of an extremely rare environment.
Click on the link to sign the petition to annul the permit: change.org
City gives Fire Department new equipment
San Luis Potosi Mayor, Ricardo Gallardo, gave the Metropolitan Volunteer Fire Department equipment for over 1 million pesos (approximately 56 thousand USD), which for all practical purposes, is a veritable windfall.
Fire departments in Mexico are usually non government organizations, which rely on private and public funding. Here in San Luis Potosi, there’s an agreement with the city, which pays the inspections on fire hazards for building and commercial permits; also, a percentage of what is charged by parking meters is supposed to be given to the firemen, but different city governments have usually fallen behind on the paying of that money, so firefighters are often in financial trouble and unable to buy new equipment.
The city gave the department three vehicles, 120 new uniforms, 20 pairs of firefighter boots, 50 pairs of gloves and 3 explosimeters.
