The Paeria de Lleida has begun installing emergency batteries at traffic lights across the city to prevent traffic chaos in the event of a power outage. The first system is already operational at Plaça Ramon Berenguer IV, one of the busiest intersections in the capital of the Segrià region. While the Minister of the Interior, Miquel Sàmper, promises a “Lleida of the future” with ambitious projects like the transformation of Torreblanca, municipal reality tells a different story: the city’s basic infrastructure is fragile and depends on an electrical grid that, if it fails, leaves citizens stranded at intersections without traffic lights. The news, first reported by Segre on July 5, reveals an uncomfortable gap between the Generalitat’s institutional rhetoric and the urgent needs of a city that cannot afford to grind to a halt.

An emergency system to prevent collapse

The new system, according to information published by Segre on July 5, 2026, involves installing batteries at traffic lights in strategic areas of Lleida. These batteries ensure the devices continue functioning during a blackout, allowing traffic to flow normally even when the general power grid fails. The Paeria has developed a specific protocol for a coordinated response to maintain essential services, showing that the city council is aware of the city’s vulnerability to power cuts.

The first location where the system has been installed is Plaça Ramon Berenguer IV, a key intersection connecting several major roads in the city. Any driver who has been there knows that without traffic lights, chaos is guaranteed. The decision to start at this point is no coincidence: it is one of the busiest intersections in Lleida, and its collapse would affect thousands of daily commutes.

The Paeria has provided photographs of the new system, showing the batteries installed next to the traffic lights. The image is revealing: small devices that, in theory, should ensure road safety during critical moments. But the question every Lleida resident is asking is: are they enough? How many more intersections need this system? When will the installation be completed across the entire city?

The fragility of basic infrastructure

The news of traffic light batteries is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a broader reality: Lleida depends on electrical infrastructure that is not always up to par. In recent years, we have seen power cuts in entire neighborhoods, blackouts that have left thousands of residents without electricity for hours, and a grid that seems ill-equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Meanwhile, the Generalitat, led by Minister Sàmper, is selling an image of progress and modernity. The Torreblanca project, presented as a major urban transformation, promises to attract investment and generate employment. But while politicians dream of skyscrapers and innovation hubs, the daily reality for Lleida’s citizens is quite different: traffic lights that go dark, streets that are left in the dark, and an administration that reacts late and poorly.

Installing batteries at traffic lights is a necessary measure, but it is also a patch. It does not solve the underlying problem: Lleida’s electrical grid is fragile, and the Generalitat has not done its homework to reinforce it. As long as there is no investment in improving the city’s electrical infrastructure, any blackout will remain a real threat to mobility and public safety.

The cost of improvisation

The Paeria has acted swiftly, but the inevitable question is: why wasn’t this done sooner? Installing batteries at traffic lights is not a novel measure. Other Spanish cities, such as Barcelona or Madrid, have implemented similar systems years ago. Lleida, however, is late to the game, and it acted only because public pressure and recurring incidents forced the city council to do so.

The cost of this improvisation is not just economic. It also has a cost in terms of trust. Lleida’s citizens see their city preparing for the worst while the Generalitat promises a bright future. This contradiction fuels distrust in institutions that seem more concerned with image than reality.

Moreover, installing batteries at traffic lights is only part of the problem. What about pedestrian traffic lights? What about traffic control systems that depend on the power grid? What about emergency services that need functioning traffic lights to reach accidents on time? The Paeria has taken a first step, but much remains to be done.

The Generalitat’s response: silence and promises

So far, the Generalitat has not commented on the installation of batteries at Lleida’s traffic lights. The silence is telling. While the city council works to ensure road safety, the Generalitat government seems to look the other way, focused on larger projects with dubious immediate impact for citizens.

Minister Sàmper, in his latest statements, has insisted on the need to “look to the future” and “bet on innovation.” But the future cannot be built on crumbling infrastructure. The Lleida of the future will not be possible if today we cannot even guarantee that traffic lights work when the power goes out.

The Generalitat should take note of what is happening in Lleida and act accordingly. Promising economic growth and urban transformation is not enough. What is needed is investment in basic infrastructure, robust electrical grids, and emergency systems that protect citizens. In the meantime, the Paeria will continue installing batteries at traffic lights, a necessary but insufficient measure.

A reflection on the future

The installation of batteries at Lleida’s traffic lights is good news, but it should not be. It is good news because it shows the city council is responding to the city’s real problems. But it is bad news because it reveals the fragility of our infrastructure and the lack of foresight from the authorities.

The future of Lleida cannot depend on patches and emergency solutions. We need a modern, reliable electrical grid capable of withstanding power cuts without paralyzing the city. We need a Generalitat that invests in basic infrastructure, not just grandiose projects. And we need a Paeria that continues working to ensure citizens’ safety and well-being, but that also demands the Generalitat take responsibility.

In the meantime, Lleida’s residents will continue driving through Plaça Ramon Berenguer IV with the reassurance that, if the power goes out, the traffic lights will keep working. But that reassurance is relative. Because, in the end, what we really need is for the power not to go out at all. And that, for now, remains a broken promise.