The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, defends that the tram can take advantage of the transport bonus measures approved by the Council of Ministers last Monday.
The alderman has already transferred him to the council the need to start negotiations with the Government of the Canary Islands, the Ministry of Transport and the Presidency of the Government of Spain “so that the residents of the metropolitan area of Tenerife can enjoy the same aid, and under identical conditions, as citizens of the peninsular territory and the Balearic Islands with subsidies for rail transport”.
Specifically, the mayor of La Laguna requests that the tram benefit from the free system for the train in the Balearic Islands that is contemplated in the Royal Decree-Law of the Government.
Gutiérrez maintains that the measures announced by Pedro Sánchez represent a “fundamental step” to promote public transport and contribute to energy savings due to the war in Ukraine, but insists that “the tram, which last year moved more than 12.5 million of passengers, should not be left out of aid”.
The spokesman for the Canarian Executive, Julio Pérez, asked yesterday, at the end of the meeting of the Governing Council, about the increase from 30% to 50% of the bonus for inter-island buses, stated that he is “satisfied” that it has been taken into account account to the Canary Islands, although he hopes that the tramway will also be included in these aids.
It must be remembered that last Monday the Council of Ministers approved a royal decree with economic sustainability measures for transport that includes the gratuity of the Cercanías, Rodalies and conventional Media Distancia services between September 1 and December 31, as as Pedro Sánchez had announced in the State of the Nation Debate. The President of the Government himself reported last Tuesday, in his public appearance after dispatching with the king in Mallorca, that the Government will discount 100% of rail transport in the Balearic Islands and will increase the discount for buses in the Canary Islands from 30% to 50%.
The president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, made a move yesterday and announced that bus and tram voucher rates will be reduced “significantly”, which will allow each user to save “about 13 euros per transport ticket”.
We can also claim free public transport in the Islands, considering that the 50% bonus announced by the head of the central Executive is “insufficient” and places the Canary Islands “at a clear disadvantage compared to the rest of the territory”.
