Basic services, by right

October 31 2018 (09:38 WET)

When the little things fail us, those that we take for granted, it is when we realize how important they are to us.

Public lighting is one of the "mandatory services" that a Corporation must provide by law. And the adjective "mandatory" in this case is not trivial, it implies the recognition by the norm that it is a service of "general interest", as is the case with many others listed in the Law of Bases of Local Regime. It is precisely this norm that defines it as an activity protected by the Administration, of regular and continuous provision to the public, which satisfies social needs.

Other examples are: cemetery, waste collection, street cleaning, domestic supply of drinking water, sewerage, access to population centers or paving of public roads. And depending on the population number, examples include: public library, civil protection or social services.

Referring to public lighting first, is not to underestimate the rest of the mandatory services that perhaps due to their social character may come to mind, it is to emphasize the insecurity that many residents of the capital of Lanzarote are suffering continuously. Living in fear of leaving home after a certain hour is not typical of a first world city. However, in a new display of mismanagement and negligence, the Tinasoria neighborhood has been partially in the dark for almost a year, and the rest of the city is deprived of such an essential service for continuous nights.

Let it be clear that the capital of our island is responsible for providing the entire extensive list of services included in the Law of Bases of Local Regime.

And I say this, because sometimes a councilor, or the municipal manager herself, is heard in the media selling us the effort or the great social work that is being carried out by providing these services.

This happens, without going any further, with home assistance and with social services in general. It occurs when some raise their voices and award themselves medals for subsidizing non-profit associations or entities. These entities invest an enormous effort to cover areas that the Corporation does not reach.

A curious case is that of the buses. Worthy of study because those that provide the service for free are maintained and lines that cover basic routes that connect the neighborhoods with the city center are eliminated, while at the same time trying to sell a forced pedestrianization.  

Regarding street cleaning, let it be clear that the population should be more instilled in maintaining a clean city. That is why care is taken to include clauses in the contracts so that the bidding companies assume the advertising campaigns, to give just one example. But it should not be forgotten that "the fact of going to bed at night is no excuse for not making the bed in the morning".

Clinging to that perhaps, I should take the opportunity to remind our managers of the unsanitary conditions caused by a city in which rodents and other pests constantly transit, which usually become noticeable in times of storm, such as those we have experienced days ago.

Faced with such a panorama, those of us who live in a city that was once undoubtedly more advanced, find ourselves lost, we lack data on how or when we can raise our voices so that what rightfully belongs to us is returned to us, as rights that they are and because we pay them with our contributions.

Perhaps we should get used to claiming in writing, to denouncing by making known the existence of some irregularity or infraction in consumer matters. We are a quiet people, of few gestures, but we are facing a situation that already forces us to get involved, that already cries out for us to defend our rights and record the non-compliance with current regulations. This is because these are activities that, in all probability, if provided in a defective manner could affect any consumer or user.

It may be time for people, aware of their rights, to approach the institutions and demand what is legally theirs. Officials are obliged to advise and help us when acting against the Administration. Let's make use of that right and claim the welfare state for which we pay. Citizens comply with our taxes, it is part of our obligations.

It is time to demand that the Administration comply with its own.

By Nayra Callero, Socialist Group for Lanzarote

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