The Ministry of Transport has declared the tender void for the maritime routes of public interest between the mainland and the Canary Islands, which were to include stops on five islands, as no shipping company submitted a bid, sources from this department have reported.
The contract to take charge of these passenger, vehicle, and rolling cargo transport routes between the south of mainland Spain and the Canary Islands had been put out to tender for a value of three million euros annually for a period of one year, extendable to a second, as stated in the tender specifications.
Currently, Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea connects Lanzarote with Cadiz under the state public service contract with the Canary Islands, whose final extension expires on June 30, 2026.
Given that the new tender from the Ministry of Transport was declared void for requiring stops on five islands, the Executive will be forced to negotiate directly or force an extension of the service to guarantee regular connectivity for Arrecife when the current agreement expires.
Shipping companies could choose Cadiz or Huelva as their mainland port of reference, and the route had to necessarily stop at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and a port on each of these three islands: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Palma.
After confirming that no shipping company is interested in this route of public interest under the offered conditions, sources from the Ministry of Transport assure that they are evaluating the necessary actions "to guarantee the maintenance of maritime connectivity between the mainland and the Canary Islands, especially on those routes that fulfill a strategic function for territorial cohesion and citizen mobility".
Currently, they emphasize from this department, "the maritime connections of public interest between the mainland and the Canary Islands continue to be provided normally under the framework of the public service obligations established in current regulations".
"Specifically, the routes Huelva-Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cadiz-Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-Santa Cruz de Tenerife maintain their regular operations, guaranteeing maritime connectivity between the mainland territory and the archipelago," the sources add.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.