The president of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, has called on the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands to reorganise operations at the port of Los Cristianos due to the congestion of ships during peak hours.
The island president, who is also a member of the board of the authority, demands “a more efficient regulation of the arrival times of the ships.” Curbelo has sent a letter to both institutions with this demand, intending to prevent the overlap of docking times and to create a “more rational and coordinated use of port spaces,” as reported by the Cabildo of La Gomera in a statement.
Delays
From the politician’s point of view, the current situation at the port “is unsustainable.” This is particularly true during periods of high demand. According to the statement, in the early days of July, delays were recorded “due to the overlapping timing of up to five ships operating on just two docking lines, which directly affected passengers and the operations of the shipping companies,” they claim.
In this context, the island president has requested that the situation of the port be raised for analysis at the upcoming session of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to “improve the regulation of maritime traffic and ensure safe and efficient connectivity between the islands.”
Political Division
The president of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, is also present on that board, with whom Curbelo had an exchange of words regarding the expansion of the port of Los Cristianos. Curbelo even stated that he planned to call for a demonstration in August to demand measures such as the expansion of the port or the construction of the port of Fonsalía.
This is a topic that has divided Coalición Canaria and the Partido Popular on the island, as they support opposing solutions. The fact that none of the measures are part of the governance pact has delayed the decision-making process. Additionally, the citizens of Arona oppose the expansion of the port, while environmental sectors on the island reject the construction of the port of Fonsalía.
