The Popular Party's candidate for the presidency of the Cabildo, Jacobo Medina, has pointed out that one of the key points of his government proposals for after May 28 is to "ensure that the island is perfectly interconnected through public transport and that the service provided is modern, agile and efficient," as it is the only way to ensure that buses become "a real alternative to the private vehicle and not just the alternative for those who do not have a car."
"The intercity transport service must adapt as much as possible to the real needs of citizens and not the other way around, as is the case now," Medina points out, referring to the fact that "in order to guarantee arriving on time to work in a tourist area, and not encountering crowded buses and long queues, users must plan to take the bus almost two hours in advance," he recalls.
"These situations are third-world if we take into account the distances that are handled in Lanzarote, so it is obvious that frequencies will have to be increased to reduce waiting times," says the councilor and candidate for the Cabildo.
For Medina, it is "a priority to start working from day one on a new transport contract that responds to the current demand and that not only contemplates the reinforcement of the lines to Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca, but also foresees the implementation of new connections from the interior to the tourist areas," he points out.
In this sense, he cites as an example the connection between Tinajo and Playa Blanca, which the PP recently requested and which was "approved unanimously by the plenary session of the Cabildo," he welcomes.
"We are talking about lines fundamentally oriented to citizens being able to go to and from work, so practically two daily connections and vehicles with capacity according to demand would be enough," explains Medina.
"A free taxi service to the nearest bus stop"
To improve mobility in public transport, Medina also considers fundamental "the implementation of transport on demand, which allows users to use a free taxi service to the nearest bus stop, for example Los Cocoteros-Guatiza, or Charco del Palo-Mala," he includes.
"A measure that the councilor of the Popular Party, Nerea Santana, prepared before leaving the government of the Cabildo; which was subsequently approved in plenary, but which to this day is still not working," he makes clear.
The candidate points out that "just as an investment effort has been made in terms of roads, we must also do it now in the intercity transport network that allows us to respond to the needs of the population in a more sustainable way and in accordance with our condition as a Biosphere Reserve."