SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 3 APR. (Press Europa) –
Yes, the Guagua Shuttle model operated by the Cabildo de Tenerife may be turned down this Thursday for those choosing to descend the Masca ravine, as it initiates from the Santiago del Teide area and will not benefit the municipality of Buenavista.
“We are not advocating for the over-commercialisation of the municipality; we are demanding what we believe is fair. Masca is one of the primary tourist attractions on the island, located in Buenavista del Norte, and we consider it essential that visits positively influence the local economy. Therefore, the regulation of access to this area must aim to generate a beneficial impact in Buenavista del Norte and in the Teno rural park,” stated spokesman, Antonio González.
It can indeed be argued that a visit to Masca in the southern part of the island should not be connected, and that this economic centre needs to be shifted onto the island.
“There has already been too much improvisation with the management of Buenavista’s resources,” remarks González Fortes, who believes that the Cabildo’s focus on enhancing transport solely from Santiago del Teide is “absurd and incomprehensible.”
“The only plausible interpretation of this scenario is that the insular body is primarily concerned with facilitating the tourist experience without considering the needs and development of the residents and the municipality of Buenavista del Norte,” he asserts.
González laments that this investment is not dedicated to bolstering the Titsa line that serves the hamlet.
Furthermore, none of these newly introduced services depart from Buenavista, which means that for the municipality housing the tourist resource, “there is no benefit from the potential positive effects this activity could generate,” he cautions.
They firmly believe that investing in services and infrastructure should not solely be “tourism-centric, but rather enhance the quality of life for the local populace.”
Therefore, they hold that an initial step should be reinforcing the line connecting Buenavista with Masca and providing services to the Teno Rural Park.
“Strengthening this line would greatly benefit the locals and additionally enable more individuals to visit Masca from Buenavista,” he clarifies.
González Fortes further suggests that “the funds allocated by the Cabildo to increase transportation on weekends to Masca should be shared between the municipalities of Buenavista del Norte and Santiago del Teide.”
The spokesman cites Teno Punta as an example where access regulation and public transport “is only considered with a focus on enhancing the tourist visit, without considering the fishing and recreational activities that the local residents have been developing.”
More car parks beside the Guaguas station
Consequently, they urge the Cabildo to enhance the existing infrastructure within the municipality, such as the Punta de Teno jetty, ensuring that these developments are aligned with the services required by the community.
The left-wing coalition also argues that the public transport provision to Punta de Teno has resulted in a parking predicament around the Guaguas station, which, according to González Fortes, “is yet another indication of the Cabildo’s haphazard approach to implementing measures.”
In his view, “it is logical to assume that if a location was previously overwhelmed by a surge of vehicles, regulating access would merely shift that problem elsewhere, such as to the Buenavista area in this instance.”
Hence, they demand immediate establishment of parking facilities close to the Guaguas station to accommodate the vehicles of those visiting Punta de Teno, as well as those utilising the transportation services to Masca.
