The Public Services department, under the direction of Carlos Tarife, has granted El Corte Inglés a one-year concession, with the possibility of extension for an additional year, to operate the public parking located beneath the store on Tres de Mayo Avenue. This temporary demanial concession over public domain assets does not involve their transfer.
The mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, emphasized the limited number of parking spaces in the municipality compared to the growing number of vehicles. He stressed the crucial need to maintain the 572 spaces in this parking lot.
According to Carlos Tarife, the Councilor for Public Services, the shortage of parking spaces is noticeable, especially during certain periods. It is necessary to sustain the public parking offer to prevent delays and traffic issues, particularly during peak times such as Christmas and sales periods when multiple shopping centers and supermarkets converge in the area.
The concession’s term will be one year, extendable by mutual agreement for an additional year, and must be communicated at least 30 days before expiration if the intention to extend it is present. The parking rate for users will be 1.23 euros per hour (including IGIC), with charging by the minute as per the provisions of Law 44/2006, December 29, on the improvement of consumer and user protection. El Corte Inglés is also required to pay an annual fee of 16,690.05 euros. It’s worth noting that in 2021, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council rescued this parking lot due to irregularities detected in the 1998 concession contest.
At that time, a study on the parking lot’s stability confirmed the need for intervention due to cracks and dampness in the roof. These defects’ rectification was included in the tender, requiring the company to make an additional investment apart from the fee.
Seven Public Parking Spaces the City Council Aims to ‘Reclaim’
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a total of seven municipal car parks located in Centro-Ifara and Salud-La Salle districts. Concessions were granted to private companies for exploitation, with durations of 35 to 50 years. These public parking lots are situated in Plaza de España, Serrador-Mercado bridge, I took Cano, Stadium area, Weyler Square, Ramón y Cajal, and El Pilar. The City Council intends to take over the public management of these parking spaces to reduce rates and invest in their improvement. In November, Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez announced the City Council’s goal to reclaim 90% of the municipal parking spaces once the concessions to private companies expire. The Plaza de España car park will be the first to transition to direct management.
