The Director General of Transport for the Canary Islands Executive, María Fernández, announced to the Inter-administrative Transport Committee the decision to eliminate the requirement for a minimum number of journeys to access free public transportation on regular buses (guaguas) and trams in the archipelago.
Initially, the Spanish Government did not link this subsidy to a minimum number of trips. However, the previous administration at the Ministry made a somewhat arbitrary decision without reliable data. This decision had two significant consequences: it put pressure on many local councils to justify the subsidy, and it negatively impacted how public transport users traveled.
Fernández elaborated on the reasoning behind this change, explaining that it should be the responsibility of local councils to determine the average traveler’s behavior and travel patterns. She emphasized that the Canary Islands Government would no longer require a minimum of 15 journeys to qualify for the subsidy. Instead, they will encourage local councils to provide regular travel cards to benefit frequent public transport users.
The Ministry of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility transferred the full subsidy for public transport at the end of the previous year, following the approval of the remaining 20%.
The total allocated funds have been disbursed to the island councils (cabildos) and the city councils of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. These entities have direct responsibility for planning, programming, and coordinating road transport within their respective areas.
The funding for this initiative is sourced from grants provided by both the Spanish and regional governments. This strategic approach has brought about a significant transformation in collective land transport by ensuring that it is now free of charge.
