The traffic issues and congestion in the Anaga Rural Park, resulting from the rise in visitors to the area, particularly during weekends and holidays, as well as the continuous complaints from inhabitants in the small villages of the massif, have prompted the Cabildo and local councils in this region to focus on investigating ways to enhance mobility in the vicinity.
The Mobility and Transportation department at the La Laguna City Council is currently studying various initiatives within its jurisdiction, in collaboration with the Cabildo. One of these focuses on addressing the overcrowded Cruz del Carmen parking lot, where the Area Councillor, Domingo Galván, stated that they are conducting a study to reorganize the parking spaces to potentially create an additional 10 to 20 spots.
Galván elaborated that the parking lot reorganization will be synchronised with the completion of road resurfacing and signage works by the Cabildo in that area, aiming for a cohesive intervention in the near future. The plan includes reducing or eliminating parking spaces for tourist buses, as they tend to occupy a significant amount of space for extended periods; rearranging the turning area near the viewpoint to possibly gain extra parking spaces; enhancing the regulation of the Limited Parking Zone at the entrance; and relocating rubbish bins strategically, as explained by the councillor.
Looking towards the future, Galván mentioned that they are assessing potential parking spaces at entry points, primarily at Las Canteras, to establish a dissuasive parking zone that could later facilitate the implementation of bus shuttle services in coordination with the Cabildo.
Regarding public transport, improvements have already been implemented on bus lines 271 to 274 of the urban network in terms of frequency and bus size, as pointed out by the councillor. These enhancements will be complemented by additional modifications stipulated in the upcoming contract renewal with Titsa by the end of the month.
Furthermore, Galván disclosed that they are collaborating with the Cabildo to develop a reserve driver scheme to address the frequent complaint of passengers being left behind at stops during peak times due to full buses. With this proposal, a standby driver will be alerted to promptly serve passengers left waiting at a stop, enhancing the efficiency of the service.
Initiative
Moreover, the councillor highlighted that “in collaboration with the Department of Citizen Security and the City Council, we currently have Local Police officers and Environmental Protection unit agents patrolling the area as a preventive measure.”
It is important to note the special monitoring and control strategy initiated by the Island Corporation for this extended weekend in May across rural parks and the Teide National Park, with the support of various administrations and security forces.
