15km traffic jams in northern Catalonia due to 'yellow vests' protest

The 'yellow vests' protests in Northern Catalonia and France caused 15-kilometer traffic jams in a Catalan highway close to the border on Monday, with up to 4,000 trucks forced to stop in motorway service areas.

In the afternoon, interior minister Miquel Buch called an emergency meeting with carriers' representatives, road authorities and the police to discuss a response to the paralysis.

Earlier in the day, the Catalan road authority restricted traffic on the AP-7 motorway near the border town of La Jonquera, forcing thousands of trucks to interrupt their journeys.

The 'yellow vests' movement, in which the demonstrators wear the high-visibility vests carried by all vehicles, is protesting against rising fuel prices and the high cost of living.

The chronic delays also affected circulation on the N-II main road at nearby Llers, as many vehicles attempted to bypass the huge queues at La Jonquera.

This is not the first time drivers were facing such traffic jams due to the yellow vest protests in the past few days –at the weekend queues were up to 10 kilometers long.

As a result, Buch held a two-hour meeting with some of the drivers' representatives. He also talked to the Spanish delegate in Catalonia, Teresa Cunillera, in order to "mediate at an international level because the situation in Catalonia starts to be complicated."