The student associations of the University of La Laguna (ULL), Nexo and Libertad Estudiantil, reject the proposal of the Cabildo de Tenerife to stagger access to classes and postpone their start until 10:00 a.m. as a measure to help ease traffic on the Autopista del Norte (TF-5). Among the aspects discussed, it stands out that the morning and afternoon hours overlap. The groups agree that if this modification is applied, there will not be enough classrooms for the 25,414 students enrolled in this course to receive their classes on time.
The island government’s offer includes an extra financial aid of 10 million euros per course that would be in force for the next two. The faculties that agree to modify the schedule would benefit from its distribution. The proposal was presented to the rector of the ULL, Rosa Aguilar, and rejected by the faculties.
The deficient financing of the University is an aspect that worries the associations. Student Liberty defends that with more money, the ULL could incorporate more professors and administrative personnel to its faculties, in addition to alleviating the current deficit of classrooms.
Oliver Castilla Jiménez, spokesman for Student Liberty, defines the proposal as “a meaningless purpose.” He proposes that the offer of 10 million be used to modify the roundabouts of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which are the points of the road network that generate the most collapses at the entrances to the municipality. In the same way, he affirms that the group has spent four years asking the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands an adequate financing to solve the deficiencies of the faculties and cover the staff of professors of the ULL, but it has not had an answer.
“The only alternative that I see would be to make more lanes, but the Cabildo has not planned it”
For Student Liberty, it is no coincidence that this offer is presented on the eve of elections, and therefore considers that the financing should be assessed as “a question policy». In this framework, he asks that students not be used as “a bargaining chip” in matters that only correspond to government entities. It demands that, just as students are asked to modify their mobility schedule, that they ask the public administrations, because this would also reduce the influx of vehicles “if really delaying the schedules was a viable solution.”
«For early risers, it helps a lot to arrive an hour later to class»
The vice spokesman for the Nexo cloistered group, Francois de Moreno-Carmona, a second-year law student, also expresses his discontent. He defends that the University of La Laguna is not the one that should offer solutions to the collapse of the TF-5. «Neither schools nor workplaces are to blame for this problem. Those who should offer solutions are the public administrations », he comments. From his perspective, the ULL can help solve this problem, but only through research on mobility, something that the center can offer, he reflects.
“Going in at 8:00 hurts us, because those of us from the north have to leave home at 6:00”
The student associations explain how the institution is committed to mobility plans and care for the environment. With the aim of following the line of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), it promotes car sharing at different points in the educational community. The reservation of places in the parking lots of each faculty for high-occupancy vehicles (in which two or more people travel) is taken as a measure. The University of La Laguna does not have the power to decide the transport that the students must use to travel to the faculty, they remember from the students.
“Public transport should be encouraged and an extra lane only for buses should be put in”
There are also those in favor
Apart from these student representation groups, the Cabildo’s proposal also finds supporters among university students. In a random sample carried out by EL DÍA among students in the Campus Guajara area, there are those who consider it “quite viable” and the majority of those surveyed highlight that “It was time to think about the effort of the students”, alluding to the fact that they have to get up many hours in advance to arrive on time for the first class of the day.
«There are people who cannot attend the first hours of class due to the distance»
Six out of eight students agree with the approach made by the Cabildo. They assure that it is a good way to “control the collapses at the entrances to the faculties.” Ulises Hernandez Lion He goes to class in his own car and states that this proposal may be fine because, he affirms, «during the holidays, I don’t find any traffic jams on the Autopista del Norte at any time. So we may have influence on this issue.” In the case of Kévin Pérez Rivero, who moves from Saint Andrew by bus to Campus Guajara, his positive evaluation of the Cabildo’s proposal is due to the fact that it offers him a greater margin to arrive on time to the classroom, after using two buses.
“It would affect afternoon students but if there is organization, it can be solved”
Davinia Brossard goes to the Faculty of Humanities in her own vehicle from Garachico. She believes that the option of delaying the start time of classes is viable. She comments that when there are accidents and they are late, many teachers do not let the student enter the classroom, thus losing class hours “without being our fault.” For Atanaima Dorta and Lucía Vega, from the Faculty of Law, this is a positive proposition, for giving students from the north of the Island the privilege of arriving without haste, despite the traffic. However, law students reflect their concern with the overlap of morning courses with the afternoon shift. Hence, they raise the need to “seek viable solutions for all”.
Juan Diego Martín Marrero moves from Tacoronte, in his case he shares the car with his brother and, although he is one of those affected by the delays and traffic jams at the entrance to La Laguna, he thinks that it is an option that, “if it is considered well , it could work”. Juan Diego contributes, as another solution, to build another lane, even if it means more pollution, but he does not perceive another effective way out in the short term.
«If they delay the schedule, I will have no way to get to my house; there are no buses after 22:00”
Other dissenting
Not all students are in favor. Paula Pacheco and Viana Belén express their disagreement, understanding that this proposal will affect them negatively. The students, residents of Puerto de la Cruz and Candelaria, believe that delaying the start time of the academic day at the ULL is not viable. They consider that the queues for the TF-5 is a problem that, in addition to not being the fault of the university students, affects those on the afternoon shifts, which is the case for both. “We understand the situation, but we would not have a way to return home if our departure time is delayed, because there are no buses after twenty to ten at night”, they comment. Both agree that solutions should be sought without affecting both shifts, because, they say, “it would not be a decision with equal conditions for all students.”
“It would be necessary to see if there are enough classrooms so that both shifts do not overlap”
The students agree that overlapping the classes between the two shifts will generate a major problem and from their answers it can be deduced that the official approaches, up to now, do not adapt to the reality of the university. Any measure that requires the participation of the University of La Laguna in a solution to the chaos on the Autopista del Norte requires consensus among the entire community of this center.
