The issue of mobility in the Rural Park of Anaga, overwhelmed by tourist guaguas and rental vehicles that, every weekend, obstruct the roads impeding locals from accessing their homes, was raised at the Municipal Control Commission yesterday. The PSOE questioned the Councillor for Mobility, Evelyn Alonso, regarding the actions being taken from Santa Cruz to address the situation. “Anaga does not require more studies but rather immediate solutions that address the plight faced by its residents,” stated the socialist spokesperson, Florentino Guzmán.
In this context, the head of the department recalled that “the mobility plan is implemented by the council, but the City Council provides measures and potential solutions within its jurisdiction.” Consequently, he emphasised “the plan to establish a guaguas interchange in San Andrés and even collaborate with the installation of more dynamic displays, similar to those set up for Teresitas, to offer real-time information about parking availability, as this could assist in alleviating congestion towards the beaches of Anaga and the Rural Park.”
Alonso defended the necessity to “develop an effective mobility network for Anaga in which, alongside the Cabildo, we involve the three municipalities with responsibilities in the Rural Park. Therefore, I urge La Laguna to also present their ideas in this regard to tackle a longstanding issue.”
The Commission also discussed the Municipal Mobility Ordinance, recently annulled by the courts, where following a request for an appearance by the PSOE, Evelyn Alonso noted, “there will be an appeal for cassation at the Supreme Court. Nonetheless, should we be unsuccessful, we are already working on establishing a new ordinance. The main hurdle faced by many municipalities is the limitations imposed by the mobility restrictions on low emissions, which is poor regulation.”
Sports Update
On a different note, in response to a request from Vox, the Councillor for Sports, Alicia Cebrián, provided information about the completion of physical activities in the municipality, costing 153,000 euros, to assess sports facilities. The PSOE criticised this move as their council “has not undertaken any initiatives in sports since taking office,” to which Cebrián countered that “when I assumed responsibility for the area, there was merely one rat in a drawer and I had to start afresh.”
Another topic of discussion was the use of Next Generation funds allocated to homes for building renovations in Añaza, Los Gladiolos, and Miramar. In this regard, the councillor, Belén Mesa, stated that “the funds are being utilised within the planned timeframe, set at 13 months, although there are two packages (one in Añaza and another in Los Gladiolos) that have not yet been awarded. Therefore, we will re-tender the first, while we will proceed with the second via public negotiation.” Following this announcement, the socialist member, Patricia Hernández, remarked that the City Council “has left 5 million of this call unawarded” and called for “greater urgency.”
The management of feline colonies was the subject of another inquiry, where socialist Matilde Zambudio questioned the Councillor for Animal Welfare, Carlos Tarife, regarding the intention to delegate these responsibilities while sidelining volunteers. The councillor indicated that “on the 28th a meeting will be held to discuss this forthcoming agreement, not yet signed, which aims to offer veterinary services and technical support personnel.”
