With an allocated budget of €18,901,918 for the upcoming five years (until 2029), the City Council of La Laguna and the Tenerife Cabildo have renewed their agreement for the provision of bus urban public transport services through the public enterprise Titsa. Over the next five years, the objective is to enhance punctuality, travel durations, line structures, schedules, and frequencies, all within a framework of free service for local residents and a steady increase in passengers.
The agreement unveiled yesterday highlights the introduction of a new line, 218, which will mirror the route of 217 but in reverse. This is designed to cut travel time by approximately 10 minutes. Presently, line 217 operates a circular route assigned from the La Laguna Interchange, passing through San Miguel de Geneto, El Gramal, Los Andenes, El Cardonal, Patrona de Canarias, and Hospital Universitario de Canarias (HUC), where it changes direction, passing through the same neighbourhoods back to the Interchange, with a total journey time of 55 minutes.
To facilitate faster journeys, Line 217 will return from the University Hospital of the Canary Islands via the Autopista del Norte (TF-5), which is why the new route, 218, is to be introduced.
The group of affected lines will see a 15% increase in trips on weekdays and a 150% rise on weekends
One of the aspects considered in the renewal of the agreement is that the rise in the number of passengers and the increasing traffic density have resulted in journey time extensions. To remedy this situation, additional services will be introduced on routes 217, 218, 219, 253, and 260, which will operate on both weekdays and weekends. This initiative will result in a 15% increase in trips for this group of lines during the week and an impressive 150% on weekends.
Upon its implementation, the urban public transport service by bus in La Laguna will feature 15 lines, completing 84,171 trips annually, covering 974,655 kilometres, operating with 23 assigned vehicles and employing 9,706 days of drivers, which will increase to 55 with the addition of eight more drivers currently serving.
A significant advancement
During the unveiling of the renewed agreement, the Councilor for Sustainable Mobility of La Laguna, Domingo Galván, argued that it “represents a significant advancement in consolidating a public transport service that not only addresses current demands but also “anticipates the future needs of a growing municipality.” From their viewpoint, extending the agreement until 2029 “ensures stability and facilitates the implementation of crucial improvements for the direct benefit of users, including restructuring of lines, the introduction of new routes, and an increase in frequencies.”
Eulalia García, insular Minister of Mobility, emphasised “the collaboration and reception we have received from the La Laguna City Council, the authority responsible for its urban transport.” Concurrently, he asserted that “this is about delivering a superior service to the residents of the municipality by enhancing frequencies and, most importantly, improving punctuality and the services we provide, aiming to cater to all needs.”
