Betancort assures that the Cabildo is assuming the gratuity of transport due to delays from the State

The deputy of the Canarian Nationalist Parliamentary Group (Coalición Canaria), Oswaldo Betancort, has asked this Tuesday in the Parliament of the Canary Islands the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Mobility, Pablo Rodríguez, if the regional Government has requested explanations from the Ministry of Development for the delay in sending the funds intended to cover the free public transport in the Canary Islands, which arrived "at the end of December while other autonomous communities received them in the middle of the year".

During his speech, Betancort denounced that “they continue trying to sell that the free public transport is paid for by the Government of Spain, when the reality is that the island councils are economically supporting it”.

The nationalist parliamentarian has assured that in Lanzarote and La Graciosa, where in 2025 more than 8.2 million travelers used public transport, which represents historic growth of 61% since 2022. “It is a positive measure for mobility and for families, yes, but it has an enormous cost,” he has pointed out.

In this regard, he explained that the free transport entailed a cost of 9.5 million euros in Lanzarote, of which the State only contributed 2 million. “More than 7 and a half million had to be assumed by the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa with its own resources,” he stated.

Delay

Betancort has also indicated the delay in the transfer of state funds, recalling that the order was signed on December 29, a situation that, as he indicated, "has left the island institution financially strained and the concessionaire company bearing a millionaire debt that puts payments, maintenance, and service stability at risk".

“Until when are you going to continue using the cabildos as ATMs for decisions made in Madrid?”, questioned the deputy, who insisted that “defending public transport and sustainable mobility cannot mean that Lanzarote has to bear practically 80% of the cost of a state measure while others engage in political propaganda”.

Finally, the Lanzarote deputy Oswaldo Betancort has demanded "financial respect, planning, and fair funding for a land that already bears too much pressure on its public services", recalling that "the non-capital islands also exist and it's high time that we are always the ones who pay".