The Local Committee of Nueva Canarias in Haría demands improvements in the public transport network, specifically in the connections between the municipality of Haría and Arrecife, and proposes a restructuring of the system.
From the party, they point out that the planning of public transport in the north is "painful" and does not take into account the number of people who need to travel by bus to go to work, school, the pharmacy or the health center.
"In the north we have a population, mostly elderly, distributed among ten locations," explains Marcos Lemes, local spokesperson for Nueva Canarias in Haría. "The municipality has two Health Centers and two pharmacies located in Haría and Mala, so it is difficult for many residents to get there if they do not have family members with availability."
Nueva Canarias proposes a restructuring of the buses that go from Arrecife to the municipality of Haría and points out some ideas that the northern government group could make a reality with the collaboration of the company in charge of island transport and the Cabildo.
Among the proposals is establishing bus lines every hour from Arrecife to Punta Mujeres and vice versa, initially preserving the usual route, as well as studying specific options for the areas of Charco del Palo and the center of Tabayesco.
In addition, they raise the possibility of having one or two ecological micro-buses that make a circular route every hour, one from Punta Mujeres to Arrieta, Haría, Máguez, Guinate, Ye, Órzola and Punta Mujeres, and another that makes the reverse route. The idea is that they are synchronized with the bus from the capital and the ferries that go to La Graciosa.
Lemes points out that the micro-buses could "carry out special services", such as transporting residents on days of local festivals or carnivals, from the population centers to the location of the event and vice versa. The objective, "is to leave the private vehicle at home, avoid accidents and promote sustainable and community transport," he adds.
All in all, NC considers a firm involvement of the Island Council in relation to public transport essential. "An island vision is needed on what public transport model we want in Lanzarote for the present and future, taking into account sustainability, efficiency and attractiveness for the user, without losing sight of the exponential increase in population aging," Lemes concludes.
