Residents and shopkeepers in the central district of Santa Cruz de Tenerife staged a protest yesterday against the new cycling lane being implemented by the local authority, with construction set to finish by next April. Organised by the Urban Centro El Perenquén neighbourhood association, the protest marched through the streets Méndez Núñez, El Pilar, Villalba Hervás and Bravo Murillo towards the interchange, chanting, “our streets are for the residents.”
Demonstrators laid down cardboard skateboards and models of the proposed parking facilities included in the Urban Plan – El Pilar, La Noria and Callao de Lima – at the entrance of the town hall. These projects have yet to be realised and the president of El Perenquén, Silvia Barrera, argued that “they would effectively address the parking issues without necessitating the removal of 5,200 spaces on the streets of the historic centre, which will be disrupted by a lane lacking stop points, eliminating loading and unloading zones, as well as taxi and bus stops, thereby impacting 9,160 residents and numerous small businesses. We urge the Town Council to reconsider.”
He further announced that “another demonstration is set to be held next March, while traders are beginning to gather signatures in opposition, as they have experienced a decline in revenue because shoppers are reluctant to visit the city centre due to the chaos created on our streets.”
In addition, lawyer Felipe Campos emphasised that “it is undemocratic to enforce a mobility model without consulting the public first. They are trying to drive cars out of the centre without even conducting a referendum, similar to what occurred with the Low Emissions Zone (ZBE).” He noted that “the Mobility ordinance has been temporarily suspended in the Urban area due to a legal ruling, yet the Town Council acts as if nothing has changed. They are now proceeding with a bike lane that lacks sufficient demand to warrant its existence, adversely affecting residents, taxi drivers, and shopkeepers.”
