SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 25 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
Next June 2 marks the 15th anniversary of the entry into operation of Line 1 (2007) of the Tenerife Tram, which, together with Line 2 (2009), make up a tramway network connected to the main health, educational, administrative and commercial of the metropolitan area. And in all this time the Tram has exceeded the figure of 200 million passengers transported.
The first vice president of the Cabildo and island councilor for Mobility, Enrique Arriaga, pointed out that to commemorate this event “the Cabildo and Metrotenerife have scheduled dozens of actions, including the informative and photographic exhibition ‘Yesterday and today, 15 years connecting’ and the labeling of one of its units, all with the aim of thanking society for the loyalty shown to this means of transport and making them part of the 15th Anniversary. There will also be gymkhanas, surprises for users and even the recording of a flashmob”.
The director valued the work of the staff over the years and pointed out that they are “the great bastion of the transport company together with their know-how, for which companies from all over the world have been interested and have been Provide service”.
In addition, Arriaga announced that this Thursday the special signage alluding to the anniversary that one of the operator’s trams will wear will be presented at the Interchange stop. Until the end of the year, the rest of the units will carry a commemorative logo on the front of their cabins, and stops and billboards will display information alluding to these 15 years of service.
The hall of the Santa Cruz Interchange will host the photographic exhibition ‘Yesterday and Today, 15 years connecting’ from next June 2 until the end of the month. A total of twelve panels will show the transformation that the arrival of the light rail brought to Santa Cruz and La Laguna, as well as details of the service from its constitution in 2001 to the present.
15 YEARS IN FIGURES
For his part, the island director of Mobility, José Alberto León, explained that since 2007 the Tram has provided service for 181 months, which translates into more than 200 million passengers transported in more than 2 million commercial trips and 21 million of kilometers travelled. In fact, the 111 tram has recently been the first unit, of the 26 that make up the fleet of the Citadis range, to reach the figure of one million kilometers traveled in commercial service.
“Integrated into the landscape of the metropolitan area, the Tram contributes every day to the environmental quality of Santa Cruz and La Laguna by avoiding some 2 million journeys by private vehicle per year,” he added.
URBAN RENEWAL
The implementation of Line 1 and Line 2 are the culmination of a complex and complete urban renewal, both on the surface and underground, in their respective routes. In this regard, more than 40 kilometers of new water pipes were laid to supply homes, some 36 kilometers of pipes for the sanitation network, nearly 1,600 new trees were planted, various hydraulic actions were carried out such as the channeling of ravines, apart from the construction of more than 2 kilometers of new roads, as well as the remodeling or creation of 13 roundabouts along the tram network, among many other interventions of various kinds.
The tram service is close to the demand rates prior to the pandemic, currently standing at 97%. A demand whose user profile has not changed in these years and continues to be a woman, under 45 years of age and with secondary education, a resident of urban centers and an employee, mainly.
According to the latest commercial studies, Punctuality, Environment and Accessibility are some of the aspects most appreciated by passengers, who have always described the tram service as remarkable since it came into operation.
‘A service for all’ is the commitment that marks the tram’s roadmap and which made it the first light rail in 2011 to achieve AENOR’s Universal Accessibility certification. Today it continues to be a benchmark and example of good practice in the field of accessibility for public transport. And in this commitment to citizens, its Social Responsibility Plan stands out through which multiple solidarity and inclusive actions are channeled, in addition to giving visibility to the work carried out by groups and associations.
On the other hand, technological and engineering advances have placed Metrotenerife at the forefront of the guided transport sector. One of its latest innovations is the removable rail insulating jacket, which is already being sold on the market with the support of the multinational ArcelorMittal. It is arousing the interest of operators, as is SIMOVE, a driving safety system to prevent accidents. for excessive speed, and Vía-Móvil, a comprehensive application for traveling on public transport.
Metrotenerife has an average workforce of 200 professionals who, apart from managing the operation of the Tenerife Tram, have been able to position and project the company internationally in different fields, such that in July 2021 it was the first Canarian company to issue Green Bonds in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
To this must be added the consulting and technical assistance services that have been carried out or are being carried out on four continents through mobility projects in Ecuador, Colombia, Senegal, Albania, Israel, among other countries.
