Juan Carlos Juárez, the mayor of La Linea, has again pointed to the Trilateral Forum as holding the key to resolving border congestion that creates gridlock for drivers heading through La Linea into Gibraltar.

Although municipal officials in La Linea said controversial measures introduced last week to shorten the border queue were still in place, increasingly Sr Juárez appears to be adopting a more conciliatory tone and seeking input from the forum.

Yesterday he said it would be “desirable” for Gibraltar to use its position at the negotiating table to put pressure on Madrid to build new infrastructure and address the traffic bottleneck at Campamento.

“It’s a clear example of something that prejudices access both to La Linea and the Rock,” he said.

Sr Juárez said the solution lay in building a bypass around Campamento, a proposal that had been raised in the past but on which no action had ever been taken.

The mayor said such infrastructure would be beneficial for both La Linea and Gibraltar.