The trip by bus in Tenerife –and in the rest of the Canary Islands– will cost half what it currently costs from September 1st to December 31st. This was announced during his visit to the Balearic Islands by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, who points out that the planned bonus of 30% increases to 50% in urban and interurban routes – he has not said anything about the tram – on the Island to promote public transport. While the area’s regional councilor, Sebastian Franquis (PSOE), shows his “satisfaction” the person in charge of Mobility in the Cabildo, Enrique Arriaga (Ciudadanos), sums it up: “If the Government puts the difference between our 34% proposal and what was announced, then great”
Arriaga insists on the idea that “regardless of the percentage of the bonus, we maintain the measure beyond the end of this year, the limit set by the Sánchez Government. It will be an indefinite measure and we will face the difference with our own funds.
The also vice president of the Cabildo warns of two factors to define: «On the one hand, read the small print well to have things clear; on the other hand, overcome the short term that exists to administratively articulate the measure and make it a reality for the user of public transport ».
Two months of work.
The insular leader of Ciudadanos clarifies that “We have been working for more than two months on the 34.3% drop in the monthly bonus for Canarian residents and it has not been easy. Now there is less than a month left and it will be difficult. In any case, Arriaga insists: «We maintain that 34% as something safe and beyond December 31. If the Government of Spain puts the difference up to 50%, welcome it is for the good of the people who usually take the bus ».
With the rate reduction of 34.3%, announced by Arriaga in the last plenary session of the Cabildo, the monthly bonus was 25 euros from the current 38. If the 50% proposed by Pedro Sánchez is applied, its price will be 19. At least between September 1 and December 31. In that plenary session, Arriaga rejected the PP initiative on free transport for those over 65 because “it would be unfair” according to the income levels of that segment of the population. He also did not accept the measure for university students or patients of the two reference hospitals for fear of “possible fraud” shown by a study by the insular corporation.
“If the Government puts the difference between our 34% and the 50% that they have announced, great”
20% more.
The transport counselor of the Government of the Canary Islands, Sebastián Franquis, underlines: “We value positively that the State subsidizes 50% of bus transport in the Canary Islands, since it represents 20% more than those of the rest of the autonomous communities”. Franquis informs that the measure announced by Pedro Sánchez is due to the open negotiations between the Autonomous Community and the Ministry of Transport to reduce the prices of public transport by road in the Islands in the absence of trains in the Archipelago. «In the Canary Islands there are no trains; if there were, they would be free as in the rest of the territory », he adds.
Urban and interurban.
The counselor appreciates that “the State has recognized the uniqueness of the Canary Islands and is going to discount 50% of recurring travel tickets or subscriptions for buses, both urban and interurban,
The head of the area recalled the letter he sent to Raquel Sánchez, Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, in which requested “special treatment for the Canary Islands with the transport of buses since, lacking trains, it is considered an essential service for the islands».
Special features.
In the letter, Franquis positively valued the importance of the measures approved in Royal Decree-Law 11/2022, which contemplates the reduction of the prices of travel passes for public transport and recalled the special characteristics of the Canary Islands. The planning and management of this type of transport is carried out in an integrated and insular manner. The Government of Spain will enable a complementary subsidy to the transfers approved for all the autonomous communities to increase the discount percentage of the multi-trip tickets and the subscriptions of the Canarian buses.
