The colective North Trade Windswith the collaboration of the Ashotel hotel management, organized this Monday, April 3, 2023 in Cross port he first Forum of Candidates to the Cabildo de Tenerife so that the list heads of PSOE, PP, CC, Cs and United Yes We Can They will detail in the north some of their proposals to solve the main problems suffered by this part of the island and its more than 227,000 inhabitants. The insular vice-president and adviser of Highways and Mobility, Enrique Arriaga (Cs)was one of the participants and put on the table a proposal that will be in the new Island Sustainable Mobility Plan of Tenerifestill pending approval, and which will generate a lot of debate: build a railway tunnel between the Valley of La Orotava and Candelaria so that the North is connected with the future train of the South.
In front of some 250 attendees and a broad representation of public and organic positions from all the participating parties, Arriaga surprised by proposing as solution to the historic traffic jams on the Northern highway (TF-5) a train line that would start from a large interchange in the Valley of La Orotava, would cross the dorsal mountain range of Tenerife and arrive at an interchange in Candelaria, from where passengers coming from the North could continue their journey to the South or to the metropolitan area . According to Arriaga, «instead of executing a train from the North, with so many expropriations and a great consumption of territory, we propose a much simpler alternative: a railway tunnel that would allow us to reach Candelaria and, from there, go to Santa Cruz in 10 minutes or in 15 minutes to the South airport».
The forum was divided into five blocks, raised by the members of Alisios Norte, in which Pedro Martín (PSOE), Rosa Dávila (CC), Lope Afonso (PP), Enrique Arriaga and Manuel Marrero (United Yes We Can) They detailed their proposals for the next term.
Jams on the TF-5
Marrero advocated “not consuming more territory”, Invest in public transport “the 50 million planned for the Motor Circuit”, stagger schedules and create park-and-ride parking and a Bus HOV lane on the TF-5. Arriaga defended the work of his government in these four years “due to the absence of finished projects”, he advocated the aforementioned tunnel and advanced that he wants to raise the speed again in the curve of El Sauzal “100 kilometers per hour when there is no bad weather.” Peter Martin regretted that the solutions to the mobility problems of the North “have not been implemented 15 or 20 years ago,” defended the insular effort in the purchase of 300 new buses, the negotiations with the ULL to stagger schedules, “which the Faculty of Medicine It will apply from the next academic year”, as well as the closure of the island ring to the South, “which will divert some 20,000 vehicles every day”. For Rosa Dávila, “the third lane between Los Rodeos and Guamasa could be built in this mandate” and she regretted that the third lane project between Guamasa and La Orotava has been “paralyzed for 28 months, like the dissuasive parking lots.” lope afonso He closed the first shift criticizing that “the Tenerife Island Mobility Plan has not yet been approved”, that the town halls have not been involved in the execution of the park-and-ride “nor the taxi sector to solve mobility problems”. In the opinion of the popular candidate, the key is to “execute what is planned without further delay.”
tourist model
Arriaga said that “the South has gradually eaten up the North in terms of tourism” and vindicated the need for this part of the island to “recover its splendor” through hotel renovations and a commitment to luxury. For Peter Martinthe key is to “rejuvenate the destination” with actions such as those planned at 43 points on the coast, the new pool in Porto or the hotel renovation “with the recovery of emblems such as the Taoro hotel.” Rosa Davila celebrated that “after 4 years they have laid the first stone to the taoro hotel», demanded the recovery of the original project of the San Francisco Park, the revitalization of the commercial fabric and the defense of the Porto Consortium, «which has gone from managing 8 million euros to only 800,000 euros». lope afonso He recalled that “Puerto de la Cruz was the origin of the tourism industry” and now “competes well as a destination for experiences” that must work “with the sole objective of growing in quality, competitiveness and income”, improving public spaces and encouraging the ” public-private collaboration. In his opinion, “Cross port It is a fundamental factor to rebalance the island of Tenerife”. Marrero defended “the need for a tourist moratorium and an ecotax”which could generate “between 300 and 600 million euros a year”.
porto wharf
Pedro Martín acknowledged that there are still “administrative issues to be resolved” regarding the port dock and advocated separating the maritime park project from the new port “to advance on the land side” and “recover this part of the coastline for all.” Arriaga positioned himself in the same line and affirmed that “The maritime park of Puerto de la Cruz will become the Golden Mile of the North”. Rosa Dávila defended her execution and accused PSOE and CS to paralyze the project in this mandate: «They have done nothing». Lope Afonso showed his absolute support for the pier and regretted that it “disappeared from the agenda of priority issues.” For Manuel Marreroit is still necessary to clarify if the project is viable and asked the rest of the parties “not to sell smoke.”
Social and health care
Rosa Davila was very critical of the island government’s management of social and health care: “They have paralyzed all the projects, they still have not started the operating rooms of the North Hospital and they have not created a single social and health care place, despite the fact that there is a demand of almost 7,000 people. She censored the closing of the program Ansina and wondered: “If they continue to suffocate him and tomorrow the Hogar Santa Rita closes, what would happen on this island?”. lope afonso regretted “the lack of comprehensive responses” and demanded more places for dependent people, more hospitalization at home and more comprehensive help also at home. Marrero said that the problem of population aging has not been taken seriously in recent decades and recalled that “Soon it will go from 16 to 26% of the population over 60 years of age”. Both Martín and Arriaga responded to Dávila that progress has been made since 2019 in the Social Health Infrastructure Plan. Martín stressed the commitment to specialized home care and announced the next tender for residences in La Matanza, Garachico and La Orotava, with an investment of 27 million.
Public administration
Regarding the decentralization of the administration, all the candidates agreed on the need to improve and bring care closer to the citizen, also to reduce unnecessary travel. Rosa Dávila came to ask for “the end of the previous appointments imposed after the Covid”.
