Titsa, with 7,000 daily journeys, anticipates concluding the year with a “record” total of nearly 80 million passengers
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 7th October (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila (CC), announced on Monday the procurement of additional buses and the recruitment of more drivers – up to 300 in each instance – to accommodate the surge in demand arising from the free public transport initiative.
In remarks to reporters during a visit to the Titsa control centre, she affirmed their commitment to “fight” the “battle” before the central government, insisting that the “only plan” the corporation has is to maintain free transport. “We will not back down,” she stated.
Dávila mentioned that passenger growth has reached as much as 20%, and they estimate that the year will conclude with a “record” of nearly 80 million, as they nearly achieved last October’s figure of approximately 68 million.
She pointed out that the most “congested” routes will be reinforced with the new buses and drivers, given that out of the 7,000 daily journeys made by the company, about 1,000 are already overloaded.
“That’s why we aim to keep it free, because we are encouraging users to shift from using their personal vehicles to taking the buses,” she explained.
She has emphasised that the enhancement in mobility has been “remarkable” with the free transport service, which also contributes to the “great green revolution” promoted by the Cabildo in Titsa, which has become the “second company in all of Spain with the most modern and least polluting fleet”.
“If the general state budgets are upheld, there should be no doubt regarding the funding, as these 80 million would be sustained, and thus, there is no justification for leaving the Canary Islands, particularly Tenerife, without gratuity,” she highlighted.
The president of Tenerife has pledged to “strengthen” the early morning services, especially the long-distance ones, underlining the “significant success” that the ‘shuttle buses’ have achieved with the University of La Laguna, noting that many students no longer live in the metropolitan area due to rental issues.
However, she clarified that the “singular plan” is that “there is no reason” for the Government of Spain to “withdraw” support for free services.
RENFE AND ADIF ARE A “DRAIN”
“I can understand that the Government of Spain faces a grave issue with Renfe and Adif, which represents a drain of public funds amounting to billions, but 80 million in the General State Budgets already designated should not pose a problem,” she commented.
The president indicated that some agreement will be reached within the Cabildo to ensure continued free transport while awaiting the central government’s decision to extend the measure, but she expresses hope that the Government will uphold a policy that has proven to be “beneficial” for the Canary Islands.
She added that on the island, there are no alternatives to public transport “apart from the bus”, and it has been “demonstrated” as an “extremely effective” means of alleviating road congestion.
Consequently, she asserted, “the continuation of free transport on the island of Tenerife and across the other islands is not primarily linked to inflation” but rather to “low” wages and excessive “motorisation” on the roads.
