Described as a “tortuous journey” by the mayor, Mari Brito, Candelaria City Council and Valoriza Servicios Medioambientales SA signed a contract on Friday for waste collection, street cleaning, and coastal cleaning. The contract will be for an unextendable period of seven years and will amount to €21,569,292 (€20,158,217 plus €1,411,075 in IGIC). The company will invest over five million in renewing its fleet with 50 vehicles, increase its workforce by 50% to 60 employees, renew all containers, and implement organic waste recycling.
This is the most important contract due to its value and because it “solves a basic service that we want to be of optimal quality”. Jorge Baute, Councilor for Public Works and Services, hopes that resident complaints will decrease and cease to be justified, as has been the case “for a long time due to deficient performance on streets and beaches”.
It has been 23 years since the first award of the service to Urbaser in 2001, which has been in a precarious state since 2011. Valoriza will begin providing the service after a transitional period of 15 days.
Mari Brito announced that, taking into account the increase in service cost by over a million, the waste collection fee will be increased (from 75 euros per year) from 2025 onwards. The aim is to create a municipal ordinance of good practices that will include penalties. The mayor called for residents’ shared responsibility, for which there will be awareness campaigns.
Mari Brito mentions the value of the contract, the fee increase in 2025, and a good practice ordinance.
[–>
Among the 50 vehicles, there will be four dual-loading vehicles, four self-propelled sweepers, four street washing units, three hydro cleaners, two container washers, four electric tricycles for cleaning, and an electric hydro cleaner van. There will be dual-loading containers with a capacity of 3,200 litres in the coastal area, mainly (higher capacity will reduce congestion), as well as 10 solar-powered compacting bins, and the introduction of new technologies for communication between residents, the company, and the City Council.
Antonio Gutiérrez, Director of Urban Services at Valoriza, expressed awareness of the importance of this service and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to excellent service delivery.
The signing was made possible after the Candelaria Council Plenary, the day before yesterday, took note of the rejection by the Canary Islands Contracts Tribunal of UGT’s appeals against the contract award, as it was deemed in breach of the labour agreement, which is part of the contract conditions.
