The president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, announced this Friday in plenary session the update of the new concession contract for the Insular Transport Service, after an historical growth in the number of passengers and "an objective and sustained improvement of the system" was confirmed.
During his appearance, Betancort reported with objective and verifiable data on the drafting status of the Insular Transport Service Tender and the current evolution of public transport on the island. “Lanzarote's public transport is not in decline; it is in full expansion and modernization. The data says so, not the speeches,” he stated emphatically.
Likewise, the president recalled that the processing of the new concession contract began between 2020 and 2022, in a demographic, economic, and mobility context very different from the current one. “That was the reality that the current governing group found upon assuming management,” Betancort pointed out.
In this regard, it should be noted that the current concession remains extended to guarantee the continuity of the service until the award of the new contract. "Far from implying a paralysis, this period has been marked by intense technical work focused on two objectives: ensuring the provision of the service and strengthening the concession file," explained the island council president.
Historical growth and structural reinforcement of the service
As Oswaldo Betancort highlighted during his speech, the 2024 Statistical Yearbook already reflected a historic milestone with more than 7.6 million travelers, widely surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The consolidated data for 2025 confirm this trend with more than 8 million travelers, 216,941 expeditions carried out, 6,100,416 kilometers traveled and 15,619,752 seats offered.
“We are not facing a collapsed system; we are facing a system that transports more people than ever in the island's history,” stressed Betancort, who also emphasized that the number of drivers has also increased by 52% and the fleet has increased by 35%.
Improvement of quality and reduction of claims
During the current legislature, structural lines have also been reinforced, expeditions increased, and strategic connections improved, such as those linked to the Hospital and the Airport, in addition to consolidating the South corridor and the connection with Playa Blanca.
Likewise, in 2024 and 2025, the complementary Taxi-Bus service has been implemented in areas with conventional transport limitations due to population dispersion or orography. This free service, subsidized by the Cabildo and integrated into the island network, guarantees mobility under equal conditions throughout the island, soon incorporating Caleta Caballo and Los Cocoteros. It is a pioneering initiative in Canarias within the integrated interurban network.
The quality indicators also support the evolution of the service. In 2025 complaints were reduced by 25%, despite an 8% increase in travelers. Regarding satisfaction surveys, these place the service's valuation at levels comparable to those obtained by Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife (TITSA).
In this regard, the president acknowledged that punctual tensions may occur at certain times, typical of an expanding system, but assured that "there is permanent monitoring for their rapid correction."
Update of the Exploitation Plan
Finally, Oswaldo Betancort explained that taking into account the historical growth of travelers, the expansion of the offer, the reinforcement of staff and fleet and the territorial extension of the service, the base scenario on which the initial favorable report for the new contract was issued has been substantially modified.
For institutional responsibility and in application of a criterion of technical prudence, the Cabildo has considered it necessary to proceed with the updating of the Exploitation Plan, with the aim of configuring a more ambitious concession model and fully aligned with the real dimension of the system and with the current mobility needs of the citizenry.
“When a contract has a broad concession horizon, the responsibility of this governing group is not to limit itself to processing what was inherited, but to guarantee that the model that is tendered is solid, realistic and legally defensible”, asserted Betancort.
“That is why, continuing the tender without previously reviewing the Exploitation Plan would have been irresponsible. It would have meant moving forward with a contract designed for a Lanzarote that no longer exists,” concluded the president.
