Humans often resort to humour as a means to tackle disorder, functioning as an escape mechanism that aids in dealing with frustration. “You manage to escape drugs before you manage to escape from Las Chafiras,” states a meme circulating online. This encapsulates the despair felt by those enduring the repercussions of the chaos caused by construction on this vital route for the southern region’s transport. Nonetheless, beyond the jest, the issue is tangible and has a severe impact on the workers, customers, and businesspeople of Polígono de Las Chafiras 1 and 2, Llano del Camello, Las Andoriñas, and adjacent areas.
Prolonged delays, absence of mitigating measures, and disorganisation have put scores of businesses at risk. The statistics are revealing: a downturn in sales of up to 50%, widespread job losses, and even permanent shutdowns.
DIARIO DE AVISOS engages with several of the most affected entrepreneurs, who express their dismay at the management of the situation. Fátima Peña, manager of the Mándate un Pollo restaurant, illustrates the effects starkly: “Sales have dropped by 50%. Customers find access difficult, the queues are interminable and numerous orders are cancelled.” She describes the situation in one word: “disastrous.”
LOSSES OF UP TO 20,000 EUROS
Eduardo Herrera Rancel, proprietor of El Kilo, indicates that his business suffers a loss of approximately 10,000 euros each month: “On top of the construction, there’s the scarcity of parking and the continual alterations to access routes. The few customers who do arrive, Rancel notes, tell us: ‘I had to park double-parked because getting in was impossible.’”
One of the most severe instances is that of José Luis Maseda, owner of the Don Perro veterinary hotel. His turnover has plummeted by 60%, and the workforce has been halved. “Everything I need for my business to thrive – he points out quick access and convenient parking – has, according to him, become unfeasible. He concludes with a poignant remark: “I don’t know how much longer we can endure this.”
In the pharmaceutical sector, María de los Ángeles Gómez Delgado, who has owned a pharmacy since 2003, notes how the construction has complicated her clients’ routines: “Those coming from Llano del Camello have to navigate extensive detours. What was once 800 meters is now two kilometres. Since December alone, we have lost 20,000 euros.” The administration of the construction project has been another source of contention. Eduardo Herrera explains, “One day the road is open in one direction and the next it changes,” adding that “there is no discernible pattern,” while stating: “it appears as if they are experimenting with random solutions.”
The project, which was approved in 2017 with a budget of 32 million euros, was intended to resolve traffic issues in one of the busiest areas of Tenerife. Originally slated for completion within 30 months, the work is currently lagging by approximately 83 weeks.
Among the reasons contributing to these delays is the temporary halt of the project due to the protection of the coastal Tenerife pimelia, a beetle located in the vicinity, recognised as a threatened species. Additionally, the challenges inherent in executing a project of this scale, where traffic has never been fully stopped, are considerable, especially given that the Cabildo reports over 70,000 vehicles traverse the area each day.
“It would have been disastrous.”
Francisco Javier González, Deputy Minister of Public Works, has convened meetings with local business representatives, particularly from the industrial estate, in search of solutions. Meanwhile, the mayor of San Miguel de Abona, Arturo González, asserts that averting complete traffic paralysis after the Christmas period was critical in mitigating the economic fallout: “it would have been disastrous.”
Though the Cabildo claims that the construction will conclude in May, many entrepreneurs fear that further delays will ensue and the repercussions may be irreversible. Those affected concur that the construction was necessary, yet criticise the lack of foresight to lessen the adverse effects.
