The president of the Provincial Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (CEOE Tenerife), Pedro Alfonso, assures that the island has collapsed road infrastructures and calls for political consensus to draw up “a great island mobility plan that will make it possible to put an end to the traffic jams that they block the North highway (TF-5) and also the South highway (TF-1), regardless of the parties that govern at any given time». The businessmen advocate a pact that marks the roadmap to end queues, “without the arrival of a party in government meaning changing the projects and starting over again.”
«The solution lies in a mobility plan, which must also have a social fit and a design and execution that goes beyond the party or parties that are at the head of the Cabildo de Tenerife or the Canary Islands Government. That solution must be independent of political changes, since the plans cannot be modified to start from scratch every time there is a new government. With the bureaucratic problems that exist today, that only means delays. The solution happens because we realize that it is a general problem on the island, that we all want to see solved. You have to look for a design and bet on it, and look for the funds, in Spain or in Europe, to carry out the projects in a definitive way, ”says the president of CEOE Tenerife.
Alfonso adds that “the problem of queues in Tenerife affects general mobility throughout the island, beyond motorways and dual carriageways”, and that “there is no simple solution, but there are options”. Among these alternatives, the business leader believes that the key lies in “a more efficient offer in public transport, since trains and trams have not been developed.” In addition, he sees the delay in infrastructure as key, such as the closure of the island ring between the North and the South, “which prevents many from going through the bottleneck of Santa Cruz-La Laguna.”
The president of CEOE Tenerife asks “more resources for transport companies, both to reinforce the lines in the areas with the greatest needs and to have better secondary networks, which bring the population closer to the main links.”
“There is a lack of road infrastructure and the public transport service is insufficient and that has led to the collapse of the island. It is not a problem exclusive to the North, since in the South significant problems are being generated at specific times and areas, such as the accesses to the airport, Las Chafiras or Las Galletas. Problems that generate a disappointing image of the island, since many have to make preventive trips well in advance to guarantee that they will arrive on time », he regrets.
Pedro Alfonso emphasizes that these traffic jams “also generate losses in the transport of goods, in the transport of passengers and in tourist and school transport… The car, truck or bus that is in a queue continues to consume fuel, which is precisely the more expensive product. In addition, delays in itineraries cause costs directly to the employer’s pocket. And that is not taken into account. These queues produce labor absenteeism and delays for workers, especially in Santa Cruz and La Laguna. And that gives rise to more losses. We are fed up and tired of always repeating the same thing: we want solutions and efficiency».
Reactions in the north of Tenerife
the silos
“They recognize their failure”
The mayor of Los Silos, Macarena Fuentes (CC), is very critical of the Cabildo de Tenerife regarding the situation of the TF-5 and remarks that “the president and the vice president recognize the failure of their management during these three years and medium, in which no progress has been made”. In her opinion, “the drafting of the VAO Bus lane project and the expansion of the highway to Guamasa were stopped, a project that was drafted by the Cabildo and was finalized for processing. What happened with the work on the footbridge of the Padre Anchieta roundabout, planned since the previous mandate, is another failure. Nor have they continued with the work that was planned for the park and ride to promote public transport along the TF-5. As they have not continued with the process of decentralization of health care or with the changes in schedules in the transport of goods and in the ULL. Now they reach the end of their mandate and they recognize that there is no solution, that it will take a long time and that they simply blame others. Fuentes joins Carlos Alonso in requesting the resignation of Enrique Arriaga and Pedro Martín.
The Guancha
“A Pessimistic Scenario”
The mayor of La Guancha, Antonio Hernández (PP), regrets that a “so pessimistic” scenario is being considered regarding the TF-5, “since results are not even expected for the next term.” He does value that “reality is told regarding how the mobility problem is going on the Island and in the North. It is obvious that it is a historical problem, very complex and that requires many projects and investment, which will take a long time to reduce queues. However, we must continue to fight so that these projects are executed in a horizon of less than five years. In his opinion, accelerating these measures “should be the premise of the Cabildo and the island councilor for Highways. We can make little progress if we complain about what has not been done in the past, we throw in the towel and leave the resolution of the problem in the hands of the Government of the Canary Islands. Hernández believes that “the Cabildo, hand in hand with the municipalities, should lead the solution to the mobility problem on the island and in the North. It’s not worth it now to blame another administration. That has already happened before and perhaps that is why we have not advanced.
