The Department of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, led by Pablo Rodríguez, has formally communicated to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mobility, and the Urban Agenda, David Lucas, the necessity of extending the subsidy for land transport for another year. This extension is vital to maintain the provision of free public bus and tram services in the Canary Islands.
Rodríguez emphasized the strategic importance of transportation for the Canary Islands, highlighting its significant impact on the region. Over the past six months, there has been a notable increase in the use of public transport, with more than 41 million journeys recorded. The government believes that extending this subsidy is both feasible and essential, as the circumstances remain similar to those of a year ago.
The Regional Ministry will compile a report detailing the direct impact of this initiative, which will be submitted to the Secretary of State, using data gathered from each of the transportation operators in the Canary Islands.
Additionally, the Minister expressed the Canary Islands Government’s commitment to advancing new housing policies. They plan to implement short- and medium-term actions to address the housing crisis in the region. The government aims to encourage housing construction and rehabilitation while developing a strategy to address the issue of vacant properties effectively.
The State has made land available for real estate development on the islands and has requested that the Canary Islands Government establish collaborative efforts and a joint strategy to execute various projects.
Both administrations also discussed the progress of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, which aims to allocate European funds to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. They stressed the importance of coordination with island and municipal administrations to justify the use of these funds by the end of the year.
Furthermore, the Minister provided an update on the status of the 2018-2027 Roads Agreement, noting that 50% of the budget allocation, amounting to 700 million euros, has already been committed. They highlighted the need to convene the Joint Commission in November to monitor the Agreement and prioritize projects for its full implementation.