The citizens of Tenerife will benefit from the 30% reduction in public transport vouchers as of September 1, both in the buses and in the trams. So he decided Minister council a few days ago to benefit families in the face of the economic crisis with a period of four months until the end of the year. The Cabildo announces that it will extend the measure, at least throughout 2023, and will assume the cost with its own funds if the State Government does not renew it beyond December.
The Councilor for Mobility of the Cabildo, Enrique Arriaga, recalls that «The Royal Decree establishes that 30% reduction in public transport in the period from September to December of this year». He considers that “on the Island we can apply the measure to time bonuses, those that basically allow travel for a month.”
Arriaga details that “we must wait for the development of the Ministerial Order to check what the small print says”, but anticipates that “we have made the decision to extend the discount to the entire year 2023, at least, regardless of what the state government after December. The Island Corporation will allocate the necessary funds for this. The vouchers valid for the buses of titsa and the trams Metrotenerife that would adapt to this initiative would be, in principle, those of Canarian residents and those with an obvious social sense such as those aimed at young people, the elderly or people with disabilities. In the first case, the monthly cost is currently 38 euros and in the rest, 30.
“I am sure that many people will leave the car at home and use public transport”
The discount would meane Canarian residents would pay 27 euros, eleven less than now. As for social bonds, the cost would be 21, nine less than at the moment.
Arriaga values that “lowering public transport fares is an idea that we have had since the beginning of the mandate.” The covid-19 pandemic “forced us – he explains – to carry out some readjustments and stop the initiative, but now is the time to resume it”. In addition, he stresses, “indefinitely, regardless of what the Spanish government decides after December, when the deadline set by the Concierge of Ministers expires.”
Arriaga believes that “this should be good news for the citizen of Tenerife because there are many people who are having a hard time due to the economic situation and this can be a relief.” In addition, he values, “we must take into account the benefit in terms of sustainability due to the importance of changing the car for public transport.”
Enrique Arriaga emphasizes one of the driving ideas of his area during the last three years: “The key to the collapse of traffic on our roads is efficient and fast public transport.” The vice president of the Cabildo indicates that “infrastructures cannot be faced ad infinitum because space is limited” and adds that “the solution is public transport that has grown in recent years.”
The island councilor for Mobility, José Alberto León, for his part, maintains that “many young people have joined public transport” and advances that “trying to convince them with the best possible service” continues. “They have a lot of environmental awareness and that helps,” León understands.
“Covid-19 forced us to make some readjustments and delay the idea of lowering rates”
Along these lines, Enrique Arriaga is sure that “with this incentive many people on the Island will be convinced of the benefit of leaving their private vehicle at home and using public transport to get around.”
The ministerial agreement
The Council of Ministers of the Government of Spain, at its meeting last Saturday, approved Royal Decree-Law 25/2022. Its second section, the one applicable in Tenerife, establishes that “the Government will finance a 30 percent reduction in the price of all season tickets and multi-trip tickets in public collective land transport services under regional or local authority, sold between 1 September and December 31, 2022, whose validity falls within said period.
The philosophy of the measure is “to promote the use of collective public transport in daily compulsory mobility”, as well as «reducing its cost for the citizen in an extraordinary situation of rising energy and fuel prices». To finance the measure, 221 million euros will be allocated, “which will be financed through an extraordinary credit.”
