Yesterday, the Governing Council of the Cabildo approved the sixth addendum to the modification of the dependency agreement with the regional Executive, resulting in an increase of €3.2 million. This addition means that, for the current year, an extra 418 places will be created for individuals with autism, those requiring psychogeriatric treatment, and individuals experiencing behavioural disorders, both in residential settings and day centres. This was announced by the island’s vice-president, Lope Afonso, during a press conference alongside the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila.
Afonso emphasised that this increase in places now surpasses 5% compared to the previous year, demonstrating the Council’s dedication to enhancing service quality and continuously expanding resources for this population and their families. As a result, by 2024, a total of 8,100 social-healthcare places will be established, with the dependency agreement already nearing €128 million, he noted.
The Cabildo president also disclosed that the Governing Council has sanctioned an agreement with the Spanish Red Cross, valued at approximately €200,000. This funding will facilitate the operation of its first aid post in Teide National Park, situated in El Portillo, from 1 October and throughout the year. This extends service availability by 108 days compared to previous arrangements, which were limited to weekends and specific months.
“The goal is to continuously enhance the services provided in Teide National Park and, crucially, to avert emergencies and ensure swift and effective interventions,” stated Dávila, adding that the service will see an upgrade on weekends through an “advanced life support ambulance.” From this post, “34 individuals were treated in 2023, with 31 rescue operations conducted, including seven rescues and four searches,” she further elaborated.
Taoro, in January
Additionally, regarding tourism, Lope Afonso reported the advancement of €254,000, initially earmarked for 2025, to this year. This funding is intended to expedite the final certification of works financed by the island, related to the rehabilitation project of the Taoro Hotel in Puerto de la Cruz, due to the increased pace at which the winning contractor has been working throughout this year. He also mentioned expectations of a partial inauguration of the hotel in January 2025.
The Governing Council approved a contract with Gesplan for the implementation of a restoration service for the summit scrubland impacted by the 2023 fire, which entails an investment of about €1 million and a three-year completion timeline.
Moreover, the island programme for Priority Works aimed at improving supply networks for municipalities with a population between 20,000 and 50,000 inhabitants was approved, allocating €1.8 million. The island’s Housing Rehabilitation programme was also augmented by €900,000, and the Activa Suelo programme by €400,750 to incorporate 16 properties in La Matanza and 28 in Santa Úrsula.
Conversely, the island president reported that the Council received a credit modification for purchasing buses, thus bringing forward €35 million from the budget planned for 2025, resulting in a total of €38 million for 2024. She announced that by next October, 145 new buses would already be operational, with the remaining 105 out of the planned 250 set to be delivered by 2025.
Rosa Dávila affirmed that “the commitment to public transport is yielding results” and highlighted that Titsa has transported 55.5 million passengers so far this year, reflecting a 21% increase in the number of journeys—equating to an additional 10 million trips over the past year.
