San Sebastián de la Gomera, 8 Apr. (Press Europa) –
The president of the Cabildo de la Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, has cautioned that demonstrations from the citizens of La Gomera are expected in Tenerife over the next few months unless an action plan is instituted this year to address the “collapse” of the Los Cristianos port.
“We cannot continue restarting from scratch after 20 years of studies without tangible progress,” he stated during the presentation on Monday afternoon of a technical report created by the College of Civil, Canal and Port Engineers, in which he emphasised that the public “needs a solution.”
The study evaluates two options: the construction of the Fonsalía Port tailored to the requirements of inter-island maritime travel, or the restructuring and expansion of the Los Cristianos port.
The Dean of the College, Luis Pintor, elucidated that both alternatives come with their respective merits and drawbacks from technical, environmental, and administrative perspectives, warning about the hazards stemming from the current saturation of the Tenerife port: “Any incident, no matter how minor, could lead to a halt in communications with La Gomera, El Hierro or La Palma.”
Meanwhile, Curbelo insisted on the necessity for “immediate planning” that encompasses emergency actions such as reorganising the existing port, potentially demolishing the terminal building, and establishing a buried connection with the motorway. “This needs to be executed now, not next year,” he cautioned.
The La Gomera president also called for the engagement of all relevant administrations and sectors, reminding that “transport infrastructure in an archipelago is strategic and of public interest.”
He further urged the initiation of a participatory yet decisive debate aimed at yielding “a solution that must be implemented, even if it is not yet on the agenda.”
The Los Cristianos port has been operational since 1974 and recorded over 2.2 million passengers and more than 500,000 vehicles last year, establishing itself as one of the key infrastructures in state ports, as reported by the Cabildo.
