The president announces the closure of Anaga for tourist coaches and a collaboration with the DGT to implement artificial intelligence
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Nov. 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, has concluded this Friday the “outdated model” of mobility on the island through a package comprising seven axes, 70 initiatives and the elimination of 23 million vehicle journeys over the past 15 months.
This was revealed during an extraordinary plenary session, where, in response to criticism from the PSOE regarding the accuracy of the figures – which has requested written evidence – she highlighted the implementation of free public transport, resulting in an additional 7,000 bus journeys.
The president underscored the “courage” of her administration in tackling the “challenge” faced by the island, which not only involves “exploiting the territory” with new roads but also “thinking big” with a “fresh perspective” aimed at enhancing mobility across Tenerife.
She urged opposition parties to “join forces” and engage in a significant agreement for sustainable mobility in Tenerife, emphasising that there are projects that “extend beyond a single term” and a “major revolution” is required.
During her address, she noted, “mobility in Tenerife is a longstanding issue affecting thousands of individuals daily, with over 3.5 million journeys in a population of just 950,000 inhabitants,” and there are approximately 800,000 vehicles on the roads.
She highlighted a historic investment of 234 million euros that the Cabildo plans to allocate to mobility in 2025, representing an 8% increase on the previous budget, with the aim of directing 21% of the Cabildo’s resources towards mobility infrastructure. Moreover, she announced the introduction of a shuttle bus to the Hospital del Norte and a collaboration with the DGT, slated to be formalised in the first quarter of the coming year, focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence measures within mobility.
In this regard, she stated that it will commence as a pilot initiative on the TF-5.
Additionally, she disclosed that access for tourist coaches to Anaga will be prohibited starting in January – with a deterrent parking area planned in Las Canteras via the La Laguna City Council – and mentioned the concept of hosting an international competition for ideas regarding future northern railway development.
Dávila, who critiqued Pedro Martín for leaving the island “stagnant” over the past four years and ironically remarked that he did not bother to “exercise” to strengthen the island’s infrastructure, revealed plans for the construction of four new deterrent parking facilities, two along the TF-1 and two on the TF-5. She reaffirmed the commitment to BUS-HOV lanes and another pilot initiative with the University of La Laguna (ULL) aimed at promoting car sharing and staggered schedules.
She is also optimistic about the mobility improvements that the Padre Anchieta pedestrian ring will facilitate and deemed as “strategic” actions the addition of a third lane on the TF-5 between Los Rodeos and Guamasa, the development of two alternative access routes, the La Laguna variant and the Oroteanda link, which is set to open next Monday.
MARTIN: THE ROADS ARE “CHAOS”
The leader of the Socialist Group, Pedro Martín, remarked that the island’s road conditions are “chaos,” despite the president putting on a “performance” to obscure the actual situation and remaining “silent” regarding the lack of efficiency from the Government of the Canary Islands in advancing road projects, exemplified by the La Laguna bypass case and the postponement of the Erjos tunnel, which will not be operational until 2027.
He refuted the claim that the Cabildo has enacted 70 measures to alleviate traffic, pointing out, for instance, that the tender for ‘express tow trucks’ has not been initiated nor have trucks been eliminated during peak periods.
“Please, exercise due diligence and inform the Government of the Canary Islands that Tenerife is the island most in need of road investment,” he urged Dávila.
Dámaso Arteaga (CC) acknowledged the “complex situation” regarding traffic on the island, with nearly 100,000 vehicles using the two main highways daily, prompting him to outline the complete roadmap of the island’s Government in terms of mobility and roadworks.
Manuel Fernández (PP) called for “consensus” among all parties to identify the strategic projects required for the island and highlighted the need to avoid “stoppages” whenever there are changes in government, commending the mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, who has collaborated with the Cabildo and the Canarian Government to secure a package of road investments for his municipality.
He lamented that the island has suffered from a lack of “political will,” as “partisan interests often supersede the broader interests of the island.” “If we do not agree that, regardless of who is governing this Council, we must continue to adhere to that roadmap, we will not resolve our road issues,” he asserted.
VOX: “THE INSTITUTION IS IN ITS OWN JAM”
Vox spokesperson Ana Salazar questioned the “sluggishness or stagnation” of the significant road projects that Tenerife requires, criticising Dávila for the ineffectiveness of her initiatives and the promise to enhance mobility within 90 days, emphasising that the developments during this term appear to be mere “patches” lacking social consensus.
“The institution is mired in its own traffic jam and does not seem to know how to escape,” she remarked, stressing that “the same recurring collapse” persists, punctuated by the president’s “novel ideas.” “Our island of Tenerife is being overlooked,” she added.