Santana proposes "urgent measures" to improve public transport in Lanzarote

The councilor of the Cabildo de Lanzarote in the Mixed Group, Armando Santana, presented this Tuesday a series of urgent proposals to improve the public transport service on the island, in order to "respond to the growing demands of both workers and tourists." The proposed measures seek to solve "the mobility problems that affect residents and tourists by improving connectivity between the main areas of the island, such as Arrecife, Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise."

In recent weeks, Santana "has met with those affected and has been able to verify how complaints about the deficiency of the public transport service in Lanzarote have grown, especially in tourist areas and areas of greater labor demand." Thus, he highlighted that "the lack of frequency and coverage on the most important routes is affecting both residents and tourists, compromising the quality of life of workers who depend on public transport to get to their jobs."

Labor problems and lack of frequency

Santana added that "one of the main problems that workers in Lanzarote face is the shortage of public transport at night and the lack of efficient routes between the main areas of the island." In this sense, he explained that "employees who have to travel from Arrecife to Playa Blanca, for example, consume extremely long travel times, of up to three hours, due to limited connections and the need for transfers."

Thus, he indicated that "the bus service that connects Arrecife with Playa Blanca should offer a direct and continuous route along the coast, from Pechiguera to Las Coloradas, so that workers can get to their jobs more quickly. Currently, the situation is unsustainable for those who depend on public transport to meet their work schedules," Santana pointed out.

In addition, "the lack of frequency at night on the bus lines between Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise is another of the great shortcomings, users in these areas must wait up to 40 minutes to access a service, which is not enough for those who need a fast and reliable connection. Ideally, the buses that travel these routes should have an interval of no more than 20 minutes, extending the service hours until 1:00 in the morning to cover the needs of workers in these schedules."

The impact on tourists and the collapse on the routes

On the other hand, the tourist areas of the island, such as Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen, are affected by "the collapse of public transport routes." The buses that connect Playa Blanca with the center of the island "are usually full of tourists, which prevents local users from accessing them. On many occasions, residents do not have space to travel, which generates a situation of discomfort and frustration. This saturation occurs especially on the routes that go from Playa Blanca to Arrecife, since more and more tourists are moving to the capital to visit the new Arrecife Open Mall Shopping Center."

To solve this problem, Santana has highlighted that "it would be essential that tour operators and excursion agencies that organize tours to markets and other tourist activities also consider including shopping excursions in the morning for tourists staying in Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen." Thus, he highlighted that "this would allow tourists to travel in a more organized way, without overloading public transport and relieving the pressure on the most demanded routes."

Measures to improve mobility in Lanzarote

Among the proposed measures, Armando Santana has pointed out that "the public administration and the company that provides the service should make an effort to shorten the time it takes for a worker from Arrecife to go to their job."

Thus, he indicated that "it is necessary to make mobility from the capital of Lanzarote to the workplaces more efficient and for that, it is important that users do not have to stop at the Playa Blanca interchange, but that this route, which is so demanded, is direct from Arrecife, for this, that bus should pass through the entire avenue from Las Coloradas to Pechiguera without the need to transfer, in this way we reduce the times."

The councilor of the Cabildo de Lanzarote has proposed:

1. Increase the frequency of buses in tourist areas: The lines that connect Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca must have a more frequent service until 1:00 in the morning.

2. Direct routes for workers: It is necessary to make mobility from the capital of Lanzarote to the workplaces more efficient and for that it is important that users do not have to stop at the Playa Blanca interchange, but that this route, which is so demanded, is direct from Arrecife, for this, that bus should pass through the entire avenue from Las Coloradas to Pechiguera without the need to transfer, in this way we reduce the times.

3. Reinforcement at night: Increase the bus service at night to improve the connectivity of residents between the areas of Arrecife, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise. That the circular bus number 3 that makes the Arrecife - Puerto del Carmen - Costa Teguise service operates until 1:00 with services every 20 minutes. In Playa Blanca, that the semi-direct bus 62 offers service all day interspersed with bus 60 from Arrecife to Playa Blanca, which has a stop in all the towns in the south, and thus connect Arrecife with Playa Blanca every half hour until 1:00, in this way the confidence of users with public transport in their travels would increase.

4. Development of complementary private transport options: Promote collaboration with tour operators and excursion agencies to develop transport alternatives for tourists, avoiding overloading public transport.

"Improving the public transport service is not only key for residents, but also for the tourism sector of Lanzarote, which depends on agile and efficient mobility to guarantee a quality experience for both tourists and local residents," Santana concluded.