L’Hospitalet de Llobregat has begun a comprehensive overhaul of its public cleaning services, marked by the deployment of a new 154-vehicle fleet and the creation of a dedicated inspectorate. The initiative is the cornerstone of a new ten-year municipal contract worth €435.4 million, aimed at tackling long-standing resident concerns over urban cleanliness in one of Europe’s most densely populated cities.
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The new service, operated by FCC Medio Ambiente, represents a significant financial commitment. The annual budget will rise to €43.5 million, an increase of nearly €15 million compared to the previous contract. This investment follows years of under-resourcing. The former service operated under an expired contract, lacking funds for necessary upgrades. Municipal surveys consistently reflected this situation, showing cleanliness as a top public concern.
“Cleaning is one of the main concerns of residents,” stated Mayor David Quirós at a launch event on Avenida Carmen Amaya in the El Gornal neighbourhood. “From the first day of my term, my team and I committed to making L’Hospitalet cleaner, more humane, and more liveable.”
A Phased Rollout
The council is implementing the new contract in three distinct phases to ensure a smooth transition. The first stage began on March 17th, with new street cleaning equipment taking to the streets. According to reports in El Periódico, a key feature of the new fleet is its environmental focus, with approximately 60% of the vehicles being electric. This move mirrors a wider regional trend towards green transport, seen recently with Barcelona’s rollout of electric double-decker tourist buses.
In May, the focus will shift to waste collection. New vehicles will be introduced alongside the renewal of all 4,250 public bins, which will be updated to accommodate the five waste streams: general, organic, packaging, paper, and glass. One notable change is that the blue paper and cardboard containers will now be made of metal to better prevent fires and vandalism. The final phase in August will see the arrival of specialised vehicles for sewer cleaning, completing the fleet modernisation.
Enhanced Services and a New Inspectorate
The investment will translate directly into more frequent and thorough services. The number of vehicles equipped for water-based street cleaning will increase by ten to a total of 35, allowing the council to boost the frequency in high-need areas. Teams dedicated to cleaning containers will more than double from three to seven, while bulky waste collection teams will double from three to six, supplemented by a new afternoon furniture collection service.
To meet the new standards, the council is also establishing a new corps of 18 public space inspectors. These officials, who are currently in training, will monitor service quality and address issues of public nuisance. David Gómez, Deputy Mayor for Urban Quality, explained that this team will reinforce control alongside an external audit of the service.
Unlike previous inspectors with narrow remits, this new body will have a broad mandate to oversee all aspects of public cleanliness and will have the authority to issue fines. This echoes a similar strategy seen across Catalonia, where the government recently deployed 50 new housing inspectors in Barcelona to enforce rent controls. However, Mayor Quirós stressed that the goal is not primarily punitive. “The objective is also to educate and reduce some uncivil attitudes,” he said, emphasizing the need for civic co-responsibility.
The service’s new branding captures this collaborative ethos: two hands joining together to symbolise the partnership between the Ajuntament de L’Hospitalet and its citizens. In addition, operatives will carry devices to report incidents in real-time, aiming to reduce response times, while all vehicles will be fitted with GPS to optimise routes and planning.
With the new equipment and personnel in place, Mayor Quirós acknowledged the pressure is on the administration to deliver. “We have the material, we have the professionals, and we have the desire. The city should start seeing how we are improving,” he remarked, adding, “We have few excuses.”
