The Department of Transport and Mobility of the Cabildo de Lanzarote has argued in a press release issued on the morning of this Wednesday that it has held meetings with taxi drivers and municipal representatives during the last two months: "Meetings have taken place to mediate in the sector and achieve a technological solution that avoids poor service in peak demand; a work where coordination with the municipalities is being essential", clarified the councilor Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
Jiménez has pointed out that the main proposal put forward by the first island institution is the creation of TaxiLanzarote.net, a digital platform that seeks to modernize the management of the taxi service on the island. The Cabildo argues that "this tool would allow the automatic assignment of services, the reduction of waiting times, offer real-time information for users and the establishment of joint provision areas between municipalities".
“The objective of this application is to offer a more efficient and coordinated service, benefiting both residents and tourists”, detailed Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
The head of Transport and Mobility has reported that he has held meetings with representatives of five of the seven municipalities of Lanzarote, and hopes that in the coming days the councils of Tías and San Bartolomé will agree to participate in these working meetings that seek to improve the service to citizens and visitors.
In addition to the obvious improvements and investments in the public interurban transport service recently executed by the Institution presided over by Oswaldo Betancort, the Cabildo de Lanzarote has launched several initiatives to improve the taxi service on the island, focusing on digitization, intermunicipal coordination, the participation of taxi drivers and attention to areas with less coverage.
Proposals
Another proposal is the implementation of joint provision areas during Christmas. During the Christmas festivities of 2024, the Cabildo implemented a Joint Provision Zone to reinforce the taxi service throughout the island. This measure allowed taxis to operate in different municipalities, guaranteeing efficient mobility during a period of high demand. However, the lack of coordination between the municipalities prevented the initiative from being fully effective.
On the other hand, to improve mobility in areas with little public transport coverage, the Cabildo has launched the Taxi Guagua service in municipalities such as Haría and Yaiza, a pioneering service that connects the towns with the municipal capital and the island transport network.
In addition, the Cabildo, with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions, reducing the costs of the taxi sector and facilitating the acquisition of adapted vehicles, is in the process of awarding new subsidies to this public interest service, in a new effort to improve the sustainability and quality of services.
Finally, in a press release, the first institution argues that "for all the improvements introduced and those that can be planned, coordination with the municipalities is essential". Therefore, they argue that the measures implemented at the island level must have the necessary monitoring and collaboration from the municipalities and their taxi drivers, and thus ensure a quality service. “The commitment of the Cabildo de Lanzarote is to continue working so that users have better public transport services”, concluded the Minister of Transport.