The Director General of Transport for the Canarian Government, María Fernández, announced yesterday (Monday) the decision to eliminate the minimum trip requirement for accessing free public transport on buses and trams in the Canary Islands.
Initially, the Spanish government did not tie this subsidy to a minimum number of trips, however, the previous government decided to as the decision was left to the region.
Fernández explained that the Directorate General of Transport has decided to rectify the situation since it is the councils that have the authority to determine the behaviour patterns of the average traveller.
"The Government of the Canary Islands will not require a minimum of 15 trips to justify the subsidy. We will urge the councils to apply regular vouchers for the benefit of frequent public transport users."
At the end of last year, the Ministry of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility transferred the complete subsidy for public transportation after the approval of the remaining 20%. The total allocated amount has been sent to the councils and municipalities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, who are directly responsible for the programming, planning, and coordination of road transportation in their respective areas.
The funding for this initiative comes from grants provided by both the General State Administration and the regional government in a strategy that "has radically transformed ground-based transportation by ensuring its free accessibility." This move is expected to revolutionise the way people travel and contribute to a more convenient and efficient public transport system across the Canary Islands.
