Public transport in Lanzarote is increasingly at the limit of its possibilities. The delegate of the works council of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) in Arrecife Bus/Intercity Bus, Ricardo Hernández, has explained that the delays or the lack of bus stops on the island is motivated because "we do not have enough drivers".
Hernández explained to La Voz that the event that occurred last Wednesday, January 11, where a person tried to stab the driver of Line 3 with a sharp object at the Balcón del Mar stop, in Puerto del Carmen, occurred because "the passenger was outraged by the delay". Luckily, he was not injured.
"Every day verbal and even physical aggressions increase because users are being affected. But they must know how to differentiate that the bus driver is not to blame for this," says the president.
Ongoing negotiations
Hernández has reported that the union is already holding meetings with the company and the Transport area of the Island Council to find a "solution" to this problem.
The number of workers at present "is not enough" given the amount of demand, also motivated by the implementation of free transport in the archipelago, with some drivers even having to leave their days off to be able to carry out the services.
The competent entities "are already working on it", according to the labor representative, and during this week "they are going to do tests regarding schedules to see how the problem can be solved".
He also advanced that negotiations are already underway to create a collective agreement for the company.
"Patience and empathy"
While the solution is reached, Hernández has asked the population of Lanzarote for "patience and empathy", remarking that what is happening is not the responsibility of the workers either: "We have to support each other so that the responsible people reverse this reality that nobody has to endure, neither users nor drivers".
