He will provide parking space while the works on the exchanger are ongoing, and there will be a ‘Guagua lane’ near Fine Arts.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 7 April (Press Europa) –
The University of La Laguna (ULL) aims to progress this month in discussions with the Deans of the Faculties regarding the possibility of staggering entry and exit times from the upcoming academic year to help alleviate traffic congestion on the TF-5.
This was revealed to the press by the rector, Francisco Javier García, following a meeting with the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, where they reviewed various initiatives to enhance mobility in the metropolitan area.
He noted that the institution has conducted a “very reliable” study on the schedules of its faculties, which will assist in making decisions concerning potential delays in the commencement of teaching activities, as the peak use of the TF-5 occurs at 08:00 hours.
“Postponing the peak use at that hour will be beneficial. We are working on this throughout the month, finalising the schedules and outlining potential actions we can take in this regard,” he explained.
García pointed out that this measure has already been implemented this academic year at the Faculty of Medicine, which received an additional annual funding of two million euros from the Cabildo, with the aim now being to refine what each centre can offer.
“We are engaging with everyone and, well, we can say that all parties will be involved and, as much as you can, we should acknowledge the specific realities of each centre to explore different alternatives and possibilities,” he stated.
The Rector also expressed his willingness to allow ULL facilities to act as a parking area for buses during the improvement works on the lagoon exchanger and the construction of a ‘GUAGUA lane’ at the Faculty of Fine Arts.
García labelled the Cabildo’s commitment to public transport as “exemplary” with the introduction of the Guaguas shuttle services for the north and south.
In fact, according to statistics from the ULL Social Council, 71% of students use public transport to reach their faculties, which marks a “very significant increase” clearly linked to the supportive policies enacted by the Cabildo, which had a total of 26,000 students last year.
He also mentioned that it was discussed in the meeting the possibility of increasing capacity in university residences, considering the challenges of finding rental accommodation in the municipality and the positive impact this would have on mobility if students from both the north and south could stay overnight near their faculties.
The rector further indicated that barriers could be set up in various parking areas to “reward” those who utilise high-occupancy vehicles, thereby ensuring parking availability while “discriminating against those who arrive with a single occupant.”
“We are pursuing all these initiatives, and of course, reiterating that the University of La Laguna stands alongside the Cabildo in improving mobility on this island, which is an absolute priority and concerns us all,” he stated.
Dávila emphasises the “complete willingness” to cooperate
The president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, emphasised the “complete willingness” of the ULL to assist in enhancing mobility on the island and also working “with data” and in collaboration with all authorities to “shift” schedules away from peak hours.
“According to the data available to the university, almost 500 vehicles could be removed from the roads each day,” she noted, while also recognising the success of the shuttle buses and stating that next year, the ‘intelligent parking lots’ initiative, which prioritises high-occupancy vehicles, will be underway, with the council providing a half a million euros subsidy for this project.
“The University has become a significant ally for Tenerife in the monumental challenge of improving mobility on our island,” she remarked.
Dávila also highlighted that 32% of public transport users are aged between 16 and 24, indicating that they are “changing the culture of transport,” leading to a gradual decrease in the use of private vehicles.
