Requesting an appointment for the Technical Vehicle Inspection (ITV) has felt like an uphill climb since the summer campaign began. In several stations, especially in Alicante province, getting an appointment before three months became nearly impossible. Efforts are underway to ease the strain, including staff reductions totaling 214 workers, amounting to about 15% of the workforce. The Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism attributes the difficulties to past management, pointing to a lack of foresight and agility to empower staff during peak season and to the ongoing demand for improved service.
In March, the regional leadership completed a shift in ITV management, with the Valencian ITV Community (Sitval) taking charge of the stations across the community as a public company. In Alicante province, the Alcoy, Benidorm, Torrevieja, Villena, Redován, Orihuela, Elche and Alicante stations and their mobile units were brought under the Generalitat. The operation also expanded staffing, adding 1,200 workers across these facilities, including 470 in the Alicante region. The autonomous administration assumed control as well.
As the summer season arrived, demand for inspections rose, but staff shortages continued to create bottlenecks. Appointment times stretched to three months and persisted in some locations, such as Benidorm. Those who traveled without an appointment faced long queues and sometimes had to go to neighboring towns like Albacete for service.
The Ministry explains that ITV activity traditionally climbs from May to October as vacation trips rise, prompting many drivers to delay the inspection now. They note that private managers have supplemented their teams by as much as 30% to help cope with the peak period.
Despite these efforts, reinforcements did not arrive in time. The regional leadership has criticized prior planning, while acknowledging that new staff are gradually joining, with 144 inspectors and 70 administrative personnel already in service. These additions are expected to progressively ease both queues and wait times.
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Pepe Cloquell, head of the ITV division of a major labor union, notes that a private company cannot be treated the same as a public entity in contractual terms. He points to ongoing exchanges that bring in temporary support personnel and suggests that more foresight would have helped. Still, he remains hopeful that improvements will come as public administration advances and believes every possible measure has been taken.
Public administration will be protected
The new regional administration plans to keep ITV as a public service for the time being. This stance has been confirmed by the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, which is focused on delivering the service under favorable conditions while ensuring it remains financially viable.
The return of political leadership that previously supported privatization has raised questions about the service’s future management. Carlos Mazón, the new president, limited his comments to suggesting that the best way to serve residents would be to explore options that maintain reliability and efficiency.
Ministry sources emphasize that the department’s goal has always been to sustain public administration from the start, strengthen the service, and also ensure resources benefit the regional budget.
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The core challenge ahead is speeding up inspections and shortening appointment times. It will be important to understand the new administration’s stance on the prior self-government’s plans. The aim includes building 12 new stations across the community so no driver travels more than 30 kilometers for a pass.
A parallel concern in the agreement with Botànic involves harmonizing working conditions, including salaries, across all workers. The Alicante operators have historically earned less due to separate company agreements, highlighting the need for uniform standards as the system evolves.