Coming to Gib? Park in La Linea

The Ministry of Transport has launched an information initiative called ‘Park & Go’, urging visitors to park their vehicles in La Línea and walk into Gibraltar in a bid to reduce congestion locally after over 3,000 parking spaces were identified close to the frontier.

The page on the Government website encourages visitors and cross-frontier workers to leave their vehicles in La Línea, walk into Gibraltar and get around by bus, bike or taxi.

An interactive maps points to seven car parks close to the frontier and their walking distance to Gibraltar.

The launch follows meetings between the Ministry of Transport and the transport team at the La Linea city council, and the page has the support of the Mayor of La Línea, Juan Franco.

The Government said those discussions identified more than 3,000 public and private parking spaces close to the frontier, including near the town’s new football stadium, and agreed to explore promoting them jointly to visitors and airport users.

The scheme will be of practical benefit to visitors who find it difficult to park locally due to residential parking zones.

Park & Go is the first practical result of that cooperation, the Government said, and the Ministry looks forward to continuing to work with the council on further measures.

The page was built in-house by the Government’s Digital Communications team with the Ministry of Transport.

“The treaty changes how people move across our frontier and we must plan for that on both sides of the border,” the Minister for Transport, Dr John Cortes, said.

“Gibraltar simply cannot absorb ever more cars, but just a few minutes’ walk away there are thousands of parking spaces. This page makes it easy to find them and walk straight in.”

“It is a direct result of our constructive meetings with the Ayuntamiento de La Línea, and of my own continuing discussions with Juan Franco, and it delivers on the aims of our STTPP. I encourage everyone driving to Gibraltar to park in La Línea and walk in.”

This comes after Dr Cortes told this newspaper last August that he was exploring the use of parking spaces across the border in La Línea as part of efforts to future-proof against increased traffic expected from new flights at Gibraltar Airport.

At the time he said parking spaces at were being looked at in La Linea, including areas near the stadium, which were being considered as part of a joint approach to parking.

The approach was based on the need to consider traffic management on both sides of the border rather than Gibraltar taking in more vehicles.

“We have to think of it as across border because we cannot afford to have all these cars coming into Gibraltar and therefore, we have to work with them to try,” Dr Cortes said at the time.

The Park & Go page is designed to be used on a phone, as well as on tablets and computers, and is available in English, Spanish, French and German.

Its interactive map shows seven car parks close to the frontier.

Users can select any car park, on the map or in the list and the walking route from that car park to the pedestrian entrance to Gibraltar, between two and 18 minutes on foot.

Each car park has directions linked directly to Google Maps, either to drive there or to walk from it to the entrance.

The map also shows the Blue Zone, the pay and display street parking in La Línea, as marked on the Ministry’s map, and the bus stops and taxi ranks near the frontier, including the Frontier Terminus bus stop served by routes 5 and 10.

The page links to bus services, taxis and bike and e-scooter hire, and shows the walking and cycling routes from the entrance to the town centre.

A second interactive view maps bicycle parking at 50 locations across Gibraltar, from the frontier to Europa Point, with the number of spaces at each and directions.

The initiative forms part of the Government’s response to the new cross-frontier environment created by the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar.

The Government said Park & Go offers a practical alternative to driving in.

“By parking in La Línea and walking in, visitors avoid the traffic into Gibraltar and congestion in the town centre,” the Government said.

“The page also delivers on the objectives of the Sustainable Traffic, Transport and Parking Plan (STTPP), first published in 2017 and reviewed by the Ministry in 2025.”

The statement added that the STTPP set out to reduce reliance on the private car, manage parking demand and encourage walking, cycling and public transport.

“Park and ride has long been identified as a key demand-management tool within that strategy, and Park & Go puts it in the hands of the public in a simple, accessible format,” the Government said.

“Park & Go also supports the Government’s Active Travel Strategy.”

“For those who choose to walk, six of the seven car parks are within a 12-minute walk of the entrance.”

“For those who choose to cycle, the page shows the cycle route from the entrance to the town centre and bicycle parking across Gibraltar. Walking and cycling support healthier lifestyles and lower emissions, as well as easing traffic.”

The page can be accessed via: www.gibraltar.gov.gi/park-and-go