He Plenary session of the Council of Tenerife approved yesterday, with only the vote against Yes We Can Canary Islands and the non-attached director Maria Jose Beldaa motion of the PP, with amendments from CC, PSOE and Ciudadanos, in which the Government of the Canary Islands is asked for “the maximum administrative streamlining of the project of the third rail of the TF-5”. In the agreed text, the regional Executive is also requested that “in the execution of the same, the construction of the double tunnel at the height of the El Sauzal curve is prioritized if technically possible”.
And, finally, it is also requested “the maximum expediting of the Bus-HOV lane project, including all the necessary elements so that the development of the project incorporates the necessary functionalities as a lane for the exclusive use of buses and high-occupancy vehicles in the expansion of the third lane of the TF-5”.
On the other hand, PP, CC, PSOE and Cs rejected an amendment to the entirety presented by Sí Podemos Canarias in which they requested the stoppage of the project and that the affected residents be consulted because “the public does not know about the project” and, in addition, “There are already two municipalities that have expressed their opposition,” said their spokesman, David Carballo.
The Cs spokesman and Highway Minister, Enrique Arriaga, dismissed the consultation because, in this case, “the route of the TF-5 is what it is, there are no other options, but to expand the lanes on both sides, except for the parts of the tunnels of the Sauzal curve”. And the four parties that supported the motion shared the urgency of this work for the drivers who are affected by the queues on this road. “It is clear that drivers suffer from it but there is another party affected. I invite you to meet with the owners of the homes and lands that are going to be expropriated, that is why a participatory process is needed,” David Carballo replied.
From the PSOE, Aarón Afonso affirmed that “of course we defend this infrastructure”, together with the promotion of public transport, but pointed out that “in order to establish a Bus-HOV ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) lane, it is technically not possible to implement it on a road with two lanes in each direction. This expansion of the road is absolutely necessary ”. To which David Carballo warned that “they are talking about ITS, intelligent lanes that can be occupied at times of maximum occupancy, that is not an exclusive Bus-HOV lane.”
From CC, Félix Fariña supported the project although he described as “electoralist” that the Government of the Canary Islands put it out for public display right now and criticized the delay. To this, Enrique Arriaga recalled that this project “has come with a delay due to the challenge of the specifications and we had to wait for legal proceedings.”
The Minister of Highways also announced that “we have been carrying out projects from the area to obtain authorization from the DGT to be able to put variable speed in the section of the El Sauzal curve, which allows speed of 100 kilometers when there is good weather and it can be reduced to 80 when there is fog or bad weather.” A measure that could be implemented “immediately and that can somewhat alleviate the problems in the area, until the work of the future tunnel can be completed, which is the definitive solution,” he pointed out.
He also indicated that the project for the third lane of the TF-5 will also involve the remodeling of several of its links “in order to have adequate acceleration lanes”, for which he pointed out that he does not understand “the protests of certain mayors”.
Arriaga affirmed that there are three axes to solve mobility problems on the Island: “Finishing with the necessary infrastructures that are behind schedule, public transport, both guided and road, and changing habits.”
On the other hand, the Plenary also approved the files to delegate to the municipalities the competence to issue the mandatory reports prior to the municipal license for the opening of businesses and establishments in the sections of the insular road network, as well as for the execution of minor works and actions in the urban sections and rural land, with the category of rural settlement.
Illustrious Sons
Likewise, the Plenary approved, with the abstention of Sí Podemos Canarias and María José Belda, a motion by Cs to initiate the procedure in order to grant the title of Illustrious Sons of the Island of Tenerife to Carlos Cólogan Soriano and Diego Navarro Reyes. The PSOE also carried out, as institutional, a motion to propose and request institutional support for the candidacy of Tenerife as the venue for the 14th World Potato Congress in 2028.
A CC motion for recognition of the ITER workers was also approved, as well as support for the president to immediately execute legal actions to claim compensation for property damage from those responsible for shutting down the wind farms. María José Belda also managed to carry out her addition amendment with the support of CC and Sí Podemos Canarias, the abstention of the PP and the rejection of PSOE and Cs, and in which she requests that a commission of investigation of internal responsibilities and/or be opened or external, as well as paralyzing the land purchase process to install photovoltaic panels.
Trolley car
In the question section, Arriaga acknowledged, to a question from María José Belda, that the negotiations to resolve the labor conflict in Metropolitano are advancing “slowly and laboriously”, and explained that they are negotiating with the workers “with discretion” to deal with to seek an “acceptable agreement”, collected Europa Press.
On the other hand, the president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, responded, to another question from the PP, that the study on the connectivity of the Island with the green islands, commissioned by the Canarian Government to the two universities, AIReF and the Ministry of Ecological Transition, is “very dense and complex” and is not finished.
