The Secretary of the Guamasa Neighbourhood Association, Alejandro Arrate, heavily criticised the Tenerife Council’s plan to close the neighbourhood’s connection with the TF-5 during peak hours and permanently by the year-end, upon the completion of conditioning works on the adjacent roads, on Monday.
Speaking to Europa Press, he lamented, “We’re about to be ensnared in a one-hour gridlock,” and criticized it as a ‘toll’ that the residents will have to bear so that drivers in the North can save approximately twelve minutes.
He also expressed surprise at the announcement, stating that the president had never made an effort to meet with the residents, not even those of Tejina or Bajamar, and had made all decisions “unilaterally.” “We completely disagree with that,” he added.
While mentioning that they are not opposed to the closure “if it benefits everyone,” Arrate questioned whether the complementary works are limited to “removing a pedestrian crossing, a yield sign, and a traffic light.”
“These are illogical things that do not align with the people who use this route. We simply don’t understand it. Why us? What we don’t understand is why us,” he emphasized.
He also raised concerns about why the Guamasa link is being closed when Santa Úrsula has three and Tacoronte has two, and questioned whether it is fair to “punish” Taco and Ofra or force hospital workers to “leave at four in the afternoon” to benefit drivers returning from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to the North. He stressed the need to find solutions for everyone.
The residents are scheduled to meet with the Mobility Councillor of La Laguna, Domingo Galván, next Friday to voice their complaints. They have already approached the Provincial Council, presented over 700 signatures, and staged a demonstration outside the Insular Palace.
“We will do our best to resist the closure and seek alternative solutions,” he stated.
