Joan Baldoví, spokesperson for Compromís in the Valencian parliament, said on Monday that Transport Minister Óscar Puente should not remain in office until the next elections following the railway accident in Urda, Toledo. The crash has caused 69 deaths to date.
Baldoví stressed that the decision over Puente’s resignation or dismissal rests with the Spanish Socialist Party and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. However, he said Compromís had been clear from the outset that political responsibility must be assumed.
The Compromís leader called for safety systems to be audited across the entire railway network, rather than only on the lines affected by the Urda crash and the Adamuz accident.
Puente is due to appear before the Permanent Deputation of Congress on Tuesday. Baldoví said he expected the minister to explain how two serious railway accidents had occurred in less than a year, outline the audits to be carried out and accept the corresponding political responsibilities. He added that citizens needed answers after the incidents had created a sense of insecurity around the high-speed rail network.
Baldoví also accused the People’s Party and Vox of hypocrisy over their decision to join the legal proceedings related to the crash. He contrasted their current position with what he described as their response to the Angrois and Valencia Metro accidents, as well as their support for Mazón after the dana.
Compromís has previously called for Puente’s resignation. Alberto Ibáñez, another representative of the coalition, said over the weekend that the minister was not the right person to restore public confidence in rail travel and argued that he should be replaced.
Sources: elDiario.es.