The Minister of Public Works specifies that he is not against the La Laguna variant but says that it cannot be put out to tender
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Oct. 24 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Public Works, Housing and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, Pablo Rodríguez, guaranteed this Tuesday that the road agreement will be “fulfilled” in its entirety, although he has warned that works will have to be “prioritized.”
In an appearance before the Plenary of Parliament requested by the Socialist Group, he said that the agreement, with the last addendum, adds up to a total of 1,470 million and there are four years and about 700 million left to be awarded when there is a “bag” of projects valued at about 3,000 million.
“It’s time to choose,” he commented, highlighting that the Government currently has 57 actions underway, some from the previous agreement, of which 12 are already being implemented.
To this end, he has said that his department is going to carry out an “active listening” process between the councils and the technicians, given that they know the territory well, to determine which works are the highest priority.
Furthermore, and given that a road project can take up to five or six years to be fully executed, he has insisted that measures must be taken to help mobility and have a “more immediate effect”, among which He highlighted the creation of the Canarian Resident Bonus and 100% free public transport.
It has disgraced the PSOE that they give themselves “medals” for the planning carried out in the last Legislature given that 90% of the current works have their “signature” thanks to the work of the legislature between 2015 and 2019.
Rodríguez has insisted that it is about determining which works “are possible” given that some that are in the agreement “are unviable” or have a “complex” environmental procedure, which is why he has defended the flexible model of the agreement to choose works. or others.
Along these lines, they have indicated that they are going to work to “resolve” the limitation of the clause that forces the Government of the Canary Islands to pay for the projects with its own funds once the initial 1,200 million are exhausted, for which they have found the “predisposition” of the Secretary of State for Infrastructure.
“We have more than 1,400 million to execute a plan that no autonomous community has, we are going to do our best in planning and execution without leaving any island behind,” he added.
Regarding the La Laguna variant, a work that exceeds the budget of 300 million, he has stated that he is not against the project but has indicated that it cannot be put out to tender because “there is a lack of supervision” and also “it is not favorable.” “and in the Environmental Impact Statement it is established that the movements of the birds must be studied for 12 months.
“Even if I want to, I can’t put it out to tender, there is no work in Tenerife to put out to tender,” he said.
FIERRO ACCUSES DÁVILA OF WANTING TO BE THE COUNSEL OF PUBLIC WORKS
Nira Fierro (PSOE) has commented that the solution to mobility on the island is not only about “putting more power” but also encouraging the use of public transport, but she believes that all the investments foreseen in the road agreement cannot be ruled out.
He has indicated that the absence of trains “is no excuse” for there to be queues on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria and therefore understands that all road works must be carried out, and in the meantime, some measures must be taken, but they must be consensual and agreed upon.
He joked that the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, “wants to be” the Minister of Public Works, which is why he has asked Rodríguez to set the priorities and not leave the decisions in her hands, taking advantage of the “good inheritance received ” of the previous Executive in matters of planning.
Raúl Acosta (AHI) appreciated that “the doubts have been cleared up” from a financial point of view but he regretted that there are not projects for all the necessary works, which is why he urged the administrations “to get to work.”
Melodie Mendoza (ASG) commented that the addendum to the highway agreement included 11 works in La Gomera that must be executed “without further delay” and asked the counselor if there are “any setbacks” in some projects. “We want the island to not be the one with the least execution again,” she stressed.
VOX ASKS TO REFINE THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTING WORKS
Paula Jover (Vox) has pointed out that road works are a good part of the solution to traffic queues and the Canary Islands need “modern infrastructure” well connected to ports and airports and has proposed “what will be the criteria” to prioritize the works and how to prevent the Canary Islands Government from paying excess costs, according to one of the clauses of the agreement signed with the State.
Esther González (NC-BC) has reproached the councilor for signing the highway agreement with more works and budget than could be carried out and “it is also not normal” that a clause was supported to pay with own resources once the 1,200 are exceeded. millions. “How did it occur to you to sign an agreement with that clause? The Canary Islands do not have the capacity,” she highlighted.
The Canarista deputy has asked Rodríguez to say how he is going to “prioritize” the execution of works since “Tenerife is not the only island that has mobility problems.”
Jennifer Curbelo, from the Popular Group, has indicated that the “collapse” on the roads cannot continue because the islands are “blocked from north to south” which is why she invited Rodríguez to “work” after the lack of management of his predecessor, Sebastián Franquis, and the former president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Pedro Martín.
Jana González (CC) has reproached the PSOE that its four years of government “have not served much” to resolve the traffic jams in Tenerife and made it clear that the road agreement is for “all the islands”, not just Tenerife, with the so that they “walk at the same pace”.
He has disgraced the previous Government by “inflating” budget items on roads that later did not correspond to the execution, which is why he has asked Rodríguez to refine this chapter in this Legislature.
