Posted Week Commencing: Monday 29th November 2004
Hydrobus project to take place in Tenerife.
At the end of 2006 the first public transport vehicles to use hydrogen as fuel will begin to operate in Tenerife, announced the President of the Tenerife Cabildo Ricardo Melchior.
The HYDROBUS project, to be carried out in the Archipelago, Madeira and the Azores, will be financed using European funds and the objective of the project is to provide a means of transport in the islands using a source of energy which does not produce contamination and is in infinite supply.
Melchior considers the project to be a great challenge and emphasizes that the use of hydrogen which is a renewable energy source will reduce the consumption of petroleum based energy sources and this will benefit both the economy and the environment.
The HYDROBUS project could launch the Canary Islands as an example to follow for other countries.
Part of the innovative project will be the hydro station ‘hidrogenera’ where the new vehicles will fill up.
Melchior did not mention what percentage of the public transport fleet would be replaced with hydro buses but did emphasize that the first buses to run on hydrogen power will be in Tenerife in 2006.
New farmers market for Guaza.
The councillor for Agriculture for Arona Town Hall, Jose Ramon Perez, recently announced that a Farmer’s Market will be constructed in Guaza.
Perez explained that the project will be set into motion as soon as the General Organisation Plan (PGO) comes into force. This will be when the land is signed over to the town hall by the present owners of the land.
The market which will have an area of 10,000 square metres will be constructed near Guaza Secondary School (IES) will meet the needs of not only traditional style local farmers but also those of who sell organic products.
The Assembly of Biological Farmers of the Canary Islands are encouraging the participation from all sectors of farming and offer an advisory service with regards to the commercialisation of their products.
CD Tenerife v Celta Vigo.
In the Spanish Segunda A division, CD Tenerife travel to Celta Vigo on Saturday, knowing that a win will take them above their opponents, and if other results go their way, sixth position is achievable, although unlikely. Meanwhile in Segunda B, Las Palmas have a home tie, facing sixth placed Alcorcón, who will be relishing another game after last weekend’s 4-nil win over Vecondario.
New pool complex to open in December.
The Advisory Board for Education Culture and Sports of Adeje Town Hall predicts that the facilities in the El Galeon complex swimming pool will be open to the public during the first two weeks of December.
The local Government has decided that one company, Poolatendan, will see to the management and the day to day working of the precinct and a separate company Sotec will take charge of maintenance.
The investment needed to build and equip the complex has been more than 2,525,000 euros. The project has been financed by the Tenerife Cabildo and local government of Adeje who also gave over the land.
The opening license for the El Galeon pool has been applied for and is currently being processed by the municipal technical department.
Cabildo funds for historic town centres.
The Cabildo have allocated more than 98,000 euros for the restoration of historic town centres and traditional commercial zones.
The Tenerife Cabildo will destine 98,000 euros for the reconditioning and improvement of the old town centres of Candelaria, El Sauzal , Icod de los Vinos and Adeje as part of the “Action on Open Commercial Areas Plan” promoted by the Cabildo and the Canarian Government.
The plan aims to create optimum conditions to encourage the economic growth of the small and medium sized businesses dedicated to direct sales on a small scale and to contribute to the commercial vitality of the town centres.
Also to be improved will be the pedestrian access to the town centres solving mobility problems for handicapped people. Solutions will also be found for traffic access and parking problems.
Forum to increase tourism.
At the VII Tourism Forum which took place last week in Adeje, professionals from the tourism world came together to debate the present situation of the industry and plan strategies for improving the future of the tourist business.
Eduardo Gamero, general director of tourist promotions in the Balearic Islands and Jose Manuel Bermudez, Councillor for Tourism in Tenerife, agreed that ‘satisfied customers’ are the key to effective publicity campaigns to attract tourists.
According to Gamero, general publicity is a good way of promoting tourism but he explained that, in his opinion, the most effective way of promoting tourism is assuring the satisfaction of the tourists who visit the Islands to guarantee repeat visitors. He continued to say that the sector must be able to change with the times and offer value for money holidays for the modern customer.

Posted Week Commencing: Monday 22nd November 2004
Adeje inspects back passages.
Adeje’s Tourist Advisory Board, lead by Miguel Angel Santos Cruz, has begun an inspection campaign during which all the commercial premises in the borough will be visited.
The main purpose of the campaign is to ensure that the area surrounding the businesses, particularly emergency exits, are clear and accessible.
The inspections began on November 2 and will affect registered businesses in over twenty centres throughout the borough of Adeje.
The State regulation CPI-96 will be applied which insists that the passage ways which would be used as emergency escape routes are not blocked in any way. In many cases these areas have been found to be full of display cabinets and other commercial elements.
During the inspections opening licenses and other permits will be checked and it will be ensured that each premises respects the law as regards posters and other publicity.
The inspections will be carried out by technicians of Adeje’s Town Hall and will be accompanied by policemen from the National Police Force.
New Canarian Police force?
The creation of the Canarian Police Force was the subject of a meeting held on Tuesday, November 2 between Adán Martín, President of the Canarian Government, Paulino Rivero, Canarian Coalition chief and Juan Antonio Alonso from the Spanish Home Office.
The creation of such a police force is one of the ‘star’ projects being planned by the current regional executive. The initiative however, has not gained much ground so far as the model for the force has not yet been defined and the meeting did not achieve much more than the committal of the Home office representative to cooperate with Salvador Iglesias who is the person responsible for the project in the islands.
Although Alonso showed himself to be aware of the special needs of the Archipelago, the two hours of conversation were concentrated on the Peninsular-Insular cooperation aspect of the project with the Home Office representative expressing that the Canarian authorities must take part in the management of security in the islands. Assurances were made that decisions would be taken to ensure the continued presence of the National police and the Guardia Civil in the islands.
Tenerife wants 2007 ABTA conference.
Jose Manuel Bermudez, Vice-president and Councillor for Tourism and Planning in Tenerife recently attended a meeting with ABTA chiefs in London to discuss the proposition made by island authorities to hold the 2007 ABTA Convention in Tenerife.
Martin Wellings president elect of the travel agent group expressed his interest in the proposal for Tenerife to host the convention but explained that Valencia and Barcelona were also in the running for the hosting of the event.
New information on Gomeran lizard.
The Cabildo of La Gomera has begun a new phase of its information campaign on the giant Gomeran lizard using the media.
Advertisements will be placed on television, radio and newspapers to help further distribute information on the reptile.
The campaign will run from November 8 to December 7 and will be brought to a close with a series of conferences on the giant lizard in various schools on the island.
Cabildo President Casimiro Curbelo emphasised the commitment of the Gomerans in the protection of the flora and fauna of the island as a means of guaranteeing the richness and variety of species in the future.
He added that the Cabildo had signed an agreement with the Canarian Government among other organisations for the execution of the ‘LIFE Naturaleza’ project which counts on the financial support of the European Union
The giant lizard of La Gomera (Gallotia bravoana) is one of the most endangered vertebrates on the planet given that only a few specimens exist near el Risco de la Merida in La Gomera.
Apart from it’s size the lizard has various rare characteristics as it is herbivorous which means it has special teeth and unique digestive system and is also capable of emitting sounds.
New turbines for Guia de Isora.
The components for the Guia de Isora turbine generators have begun to arrive in Tenerife.
UNELCO ENDESA will eventually install a turbine generator which will help cope with the increase in the demand for electricity. The average annual increase has been 10% over the last 8 years.
The investment needed for the construction and initiation of this first turbine generator will be around 21 million euros. The same amount will then be needed for a second turbine generator planned for the borough of Adeje.
Paella and Tortilla most popular foods in Spain.
Traditionally considered as the most representative dishes of Spanish cuisine, Paella and Tortilla are the number one choice for the 2.6 million foreigners living in Spain and the Canary Islands are no exception.
A study carried out by The Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) among immigrants from Central and South America, Africa and Europe, showed that at least 64% really liked or quite liked Spanish food.
Although British foods are in plentiful supply in the Canary Island supermarkets, many of the ‘New Spanish’ coming from further a field have had to stop eating traditional foods from their own countries due to the absence of these products in the supermarkets.
The Spanish Secretary for Agriculture, Fernando Moraleda, commented that the outcome of the study was positive for producers and distributors as it gives them an insight into the potential for supplying more ethnic foods and since he estimates that by 2008 Spain will be the home to 4 million immigrants, the demand for these foods will increase markedly.
Among the most sought after ‘home’ goods are tropical fruits, specific varieties of cheese and other dairy produce. Furthermore, since the time people now spend for food is decreasing, he foresees a market for ready prepared chilled ‘foreign’ foods throughout Spain and the Islands.
New bus service needed in Arona.
Catching a bus in Arona can mean a long walk to a stop and residents think a comprehensive service covering the whole of the South Tenerife municipality would be just the ticket. For starters, AROFAV (Arona Federation of Residents Associations) have requested that the local Town Council set in motion an urban route as required for authorities with more than 50,000 inhabitants.
Federation President Santiago Pérez said the service could be introduced in phases with inland and higher areas covered first then gradually extended. Places such as Palm-Mar and Túnez have no buses so the associations are meeting shortly to draw up a plan of areas that need serving.
New services proposed by Titsa.
In other news, Arona Mayor José Alberto González and Transport Councillor Pedro Cabeza met recently with bus company Titsa and residents associations with the objective of solving the problems of zones without public transport and extend the hours of existing lines.
Residents stressed the need for more stops and the improvement of daytime and night services.

Posted Week Commencing: Monday 15th November 2004
New college to be built in El Medano.
Jaime Gonzalez Cejas, Mayor for Granadilla de Abona, has signed over a piece of land in the Los Martinez area of El Medano to the Canarian Government Education Advisory Board for the construction of a College of Secondary Education.
Gonzalez explained however that the college, which will consist of 16 classrooms, is only a small step towards meeting the real needs of the local community.
He added that at the same time as the Los Martinez site was tabled two years ago, a further two sites were designated as locations for schools.
El Medano now has a population of over 35,000 residents and the construction of more infant and primary school facilities is also urgently needed.
New health centre to be built in Valle San Lorenzo.
The Health Advisory Board of the Canarian Government will allocate 1,200,000 euros for the construction of a new Health Centre in Valle San Lorenzo.
The centre will be built on a 1,062 square metre site which was acquired by the Canarian Health Service from Arona Town Hall.
Once the paperwork has been completed and the title holder for the land is officially the Canarian Health Service, tenders will be invited for the construction process.
The centre will be a two storey building with medical emergencies being received on the first floor which is also where the administration offices will be based.
On the second floor, there will be eight general consulting rooms, two paediatric consulting rooms, various multifunctional areas and a social workers office.
In other news, more than 2,000 square metres of land has been set aside for a much needed new health centre.
‘Tenerife will light up your Winter’ is message to Finnish.
The slogan ‘Tenerife will light up your Winter’ is being used for a campaign promoting Tenerife to natives of Finland.
The words appear in advertisements in various widely distributed newspapers and together with the support of the two main tour operators in Finland, it is hoped that the campaign will help Tenerife regain popularity with Scandinavian tourists.
The project has been financed by the Tenerife Cabildo who have given 157,000 euros toward project costs which also includes the setting up of a web page and the distribution of leaflets via the Spanish Tourism Office in Helsinki.
Added security needed in El Fraile.
More than 200 El Fraile residents were present at a meeting held in the town’s Cultural Centre with a local government team from Arona Town hall.
The purpose of the gathering was to discuss the problems of the highly populated area and the most debated topics were the need for improvements in the security and the general cleanliness of the area.
Francisco Afonso, president of the Neighbourhood Association, said that in order to achieve a greater harmony within the community, a greater police presence would be imperative.
The government advised the meeting that the new policemen that were taken on in the summer would help to reinforce the security in general.
With regards to the cleanliness of the area, Afonso said that the Town Hall officials had admitted that the existing services were inadequate and he went on to explain that they would be locating more workers in El Fraile at the beginning of next year when new contracts had been signed.
More national parks proposed for Canary Islands.
More national parks could be destined for the Canary Islands with the blessing of the Ministry of the Environment.
The archipelago already has 6 of Spain’s 46 and Environment Minister Cristina Narbona, visiting the Canaries, paved the way for additions to the list of protected natural areas.
Among the candidates are Tenerife’s Teno-Rasca and Sebadales, La Palma’s celebrated Cumbre Viejo and Frontera and Mar de las Calmas (El Hierro) as well as Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote zones.
The final decision on extending the park network rests with the Canarian Government.
Road improvements begin in South.
The Cabildo of Tenerife has begun a series of modifications to improve various roads in southern municipalities.
600,000 euros have been allocated for the work which has already been completed in some areas for example the road between Puertito de Guimar and the TF1 motorway.
The roundabout and surrounding roads of Las Chafiras, San Miguel, will also be modified to encourage the traffic to be more free flowing. A south bound lane of 200 metres will be constructed to enable traffic coming from San Miguel, Las Zocas and Aldea Blanca easy access to the TF1 motorway.
Another project involves resurfacing the road to improve safety in Los Menores at the end of the TF1 towards Guia de Isora.
The projects will not only absorb the growing flow of traffic more easily but also ensure the safety of the road users.
New health centre to be built in Las Chafiras.
San Miguel Town Hall is presently carrying out work on a provisional health centre for the Las Chafiras area, which will be up and running by the end of this year.
Mayor Arturo Gonzalez explained that the centre is being constructed next to the Farmer’s Market building in Las Chafiras and that the building will help alleviate the demand for health care for the growing population until the new health centre is built in the Llano del Camello area.
The staff at the centre will include one doctor, one nurse and an administration worker.
New crossing to be opened in Los Menores.
The councillor for roads Lorenzo Dorta, has promised to speed up the paperwork to allow a 16 metre long elevated pedestrian crossing to be constructed over the T-82 road in Los Menores.
Stairs and a ramp will be constructed at each end of the crossing to enable easy access for all users including mothers with pushchairs and the disabled.
When the work is finished both sides of the town of Los Menores will be joined and pedestrians will no longer have to cross the busy road at a point which has been catalogued as an accident blackspot.
On average 15,965 vehicles use the road and given the fact that the local population has grown considerably in recent times, the installation of the crossing is a top priority for safety reasons.
All inclusive holidays to end.
Further pressure has been put on the Canarian Government to regulate all-inclusive holidays which have been blamed for hitting the cash tills of bars, restaurants and shops at destination resorts.
The latest proposal was made by Tenerife Cabildo Vice-President José Manuel Bermúdez, who is also Tourism Councillor, at the second Tourism and Commerce Congress in Taoro Casino convention centre, Puerto de la Cruz.
He said controls should be imposed on all-inclusive breaks using quality as criteria.
Madrid has already declared the suitability of all-inclusive holidays to be a matter of open debate.
In other news, Santa Cruz de Tenerife provincial business people’s confederation described the Canarian Government’s 2005 tourism budget of 86 million euros as insufficient and offered to support the Autonomous Executive in reactivating the sector.

Posted Week Commencing: Monday 8th November 2004
Tenerife Cabildo takes over Titsa.
Tenerife Cabildo will take over the ownership and running of bus company Titsa from the first half of next year.
The step will give the island authority control of all terrestrial transport (buses, taxis and future tramway) and lead to the streamlining of the network.
Titsa is currently in the hands of the Canarian Government.
With the Socialist group in opposition, the Cabildo agreed to work with the Regional Executive to formulate the terms, conditions and timeframe of the handover.
Víctor Pérez, island Councillor for the Presidency and the Treasury, said the move would give the Cabildo a chance to reorganise the public transport system to tackle the problems caused by the high density of traffic in circulation.
It would be an opportunity to meet mobility demands, improve the environmental conditions of traffic rotation and reduce journey times.
Residents unhappy with government spending.
Costa del Silencio residents, who have been waiting expectantly to see how Arona Town Hall would spend 2.4 million euros promised for giving the residential and tourist resort a facelift, have begun to realise the local authority has had to draw the line somewhere.
Freshly painted yellow lines have appeared along the main Avenida José Antonio Tavio to follow the earlier renewal of road markings and the installation of speed bumps.
Sleeping policemen have been joined by wide awake community officers on motorbikes who patrol the area, including Las Galletas and El Fraile, but Silencio residents are wondering if any of the measures will have an effect on drivers who, they say, show little respect for the highway code.
Unelco can cope!
The Electric Company UNELCO ENDESA declared last week that they have the power generators necessary to cope with the electricity needs for the south of Tenerife during November and December.
The company emphasize, however, that the installation of the power generators in the borough of Guia de Isora is an environmentally friendly but temporary solution which will alleviate the situation until two further gas turbines, due to arrive in January or February next year, can be activated.
The emergency power generators consist of 20 megawatts of power and UNELCO claim that this will be sufficient to take on part of the present saturation at peak times which means that power cuts will be avoided.
UNELCO claim that the installation of the power generators will help to cope with the increased demand for power resulting from the “change in the hour” at the end of October.
New funds for San Isidro.
Expanding San Isidro’s development is one of the main priorities in Granadilla de Abona Town Hall’s 2005 budget of around 42 million euros. Council spokesman Nicolás Jorge said a lot of the money would be spent on completing the town’s infrastructures, adding the finishing touches to the sanitation system and services of La Jurada and Los Cardones estates. He stressed that improving the cleaning service and benefits for the elderly and young people were also in the pipeline.
Governments budget announced.
The Canarian Government’s planned budget for 2005 will be 5,187 million euros, 7.2% more than this year. Almost 80% of the spending will go on the social sector, including health, education, justice, employment and social affairs. The economic growth forecast for the archipelago has been revised as no more than 2.2% for the year. Expenditure on social needs was said to have increased by 50% over the past five years, while health spending had doubled in a decade.
New cultural centre in Santiago del Teidw.
The Santiago del Teide town hall is looking into reconditioning part of the square in Puerto de Santiago as a large cultural centre which would fulfil the needs of those living in the coastal region of the borough.
The project will form part of what is known as the Lago Santiago Project and will temporarily substitute the previous cultural centre plans originally presented more than a year ago but which are paralysed waiting for the help of the Tenerife Cabildo.
An alternative idea for the lower sections of the Puerto de Santiago Square would be a leisure zone including a discotheque, a dance hall and various pubs in a space of 2,800 square metres.
The Tourist Board of the Canarian Government have agreed to finance a large part of the development.
New emergency services base in Arona.
Security will be stepped up in the fast-growing southern municipality of Arona with a base for emergency services strategically placed between Chayofa and El Mojón. Mayor José Alberto González said citizen safety was a priority and the project would be developed at an intermediate point in the locality for a fast response to incidents. He hoped that the base would become a reality in a couple of years.
Tourism up.
The Canary Islands had the second highest hotel occupation in Spain during the month of September with a 6.5% increase on September of 2003. According to the Hotel Occupation Surveys, Tenerife achieved a 55% occupancy compared to Las Palmas who maintained a 45% occupancy level.
Eco-tourism holidays on the increase.
In the Canary Islands, eco-tourism is fast becoming a popular alternative to the traditional “beach and sun” holidays and is generating more and more income for the Islands each year.
Among the most attractive natural resources in the Canary Islands, apart from the scenery, is the large variety of whales and dolphins which can be found in Canarian waters.
Currently registered are 27 species of the marine mammals which are visited on a daily basis by boatloads of tourists who aim to observe the animals in their natural habitat.
Almost 40 boats carry out the excursions mainly in the waters around Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Gomera and Lanzarote taking more than 500,000 passengers a year.
The organisation Tenerife Conservacion will soon be launching an awareness campaign to inform locals about the diversity of cetaceans present in Canarian waters, to explain the dangers they face and the importance of preserving the largest of the cetaceans as they are a fundamental part of the Canarian underwater eco-system
Sports complex given the OK.
The Town Hall of Santiago del Teide have given a positive evaluation of the Pancracio Socas Sports Complex which is now three months old .
The council representative for Sport, Oscar Tomas Perez Rodriguez, explained that the complex as a whole more than meets the expectations of sports enthusiasts and already has almost a thousand members of all ages coming mainly from the borough itself and the surrounding areas.
Luis Manuel Hernandez, manager of Santiago del Teide Gestion SL, added that apart from the sports activities presently offered by the centre, the company is planning to widen the activities available to include gymnastics, keep fit for older people, yoga and relaxation, tennis and swimming for babies, pregnant ladies and the handicapped.
More police needed at Guaza.
South Tenerife residents have requested a daily police presence at Guaza roundabout in Arona in an effort to reduce traffic queues that can stretch back more than two kilometres.
Blaming the relevant administrations for delays in seeking and acting upon an answer to the chaos usually resulting at rush hour, Francisco Afonso, President of residents association Balcón del Atlántico de El Fraile, said daily incidents on the section leading to the TF-1 motorway underlined the need for an urgent solution.

Posted Week Commencing: Monday 1st November 2004
Turbine power on the way.
Turbines and generators aimed at guaranteeing South Tenerife’s winter power supplies should be in operation from January, but that may not be soon enough to prevent blackouts.
José María Plans, energy giant UNELCO-ENDESA’s Director-General, repeated a warning that cuts could not be ruled out because of increased seasonal pressure on the grid.
He told a Canarian newspaper that his company had all measures in place to meet extra demands, but the situation could become critical if the unexpected happened.
Luis Soria, the Canarian Government’s Industry Councillor, said he expected the turbines and generators to remain in place until 2008 at the latest when the region’s high-tension power line was functioning.
He confirmed that the end of British Summer Time on October 31 was expected to bring a surge in electricity demand.
Canary Islands sends Mr Spain entrants.
This year the Canary Islands will have two candidates for the Mister Spain competition which is taking place on November 5th and 6th in Oropesa del Mar, Alicante.
Nacor Garcia Suarez from Santiago del Teide and Miguel Angel Garcia Navarro from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are the Canarian entrants who will try to win the votes of the jury and take over from the current Mister Spain Juan Antonio Ruiz, from Almeria.
Both have just arrived on the Spanish mainland to begin the competition to decide who is the best looking man in Spain.
However both men have stated that they don’t mind which of the two comes out on top - the important thing, they claim, is to make sure the Canary Islands are well represented in the competition.
Both Nacor and Miguel Angel explained that they hoped the competition would give them the opportunity to make new contacts which would help them out in the world of modelling.
Equal opportunites projects announced.
The Tenerife Cabildo announced a project for the training of 280 jobless women from 28 of the island municipalities.
The scheme is part of the equal opportunities plan approved by the European Social Fund and has a budget of more than 3 million euros, of which 30% will come from the island authority’s Youth, Education & Women’s Council.
Courses will be run on working with the elderly and the disabled, young people and immigrants with the aim of landing permanent employment.
Keep San miguel tidy.
The town hall of San Miguel de Abona have introduced a new campaign to make residents aware of the necessity to keep the borough clean and tidy and to educate them about recycling.
The Project which has the slogan “A more attractive look for San Miguel” was presented last week by the Mayor, Arturo Gonzalez, Councillor for Cleaning Services, Julián Martin, and the Manager of the company which will carry out the works, Fernando Gomez.
During the next two months the Corporation will advise residents about ‘good habits’ regarding refuse disposal and to help achieve the objective, posters will be placed on rubbish bins and leaflets will be distributed to every household explaining the procedures and regulations regarding rubbish.
According to the Mayor, fines will be imposed on people who do not comply with the regulations – the fines will range from 300 euros for small offences to 3,000 euros for more serious ones.
New home service from Red Cross.
Arona Social Services and the Red Cross (Cruz Roja) are studying the possibility of extending the municipality’s home emergency phone network.
Thirty residents are currently covered by the scheme, but the Town Hall would like to add another 10.
In emergencies, users can press a button which puts them in contact with a Red Cross operator who will provide a response to the situation.
The 24 hour service is aimed at improving the quality of life for the disabled, people living alone, the elderly and the sick.
Unemployment figures fall.
The number of unemployed fell by 12,600 in the Canary Islands during the third quarter of the year.
That left a total of 100,600 people out of work in the archipelago – a rate of 11.34%.
By province, Santa Cruz de Tenerife had 52,200 looking for a job, according to the National Statistics Institute.
Women were the most affected with an unemployment rate of nearly 15% against 8.8% for men.
The Canaries’ working population totalled 786,900, of whom 378,400 were in the western province.
Diesel prices hit new high.
Protests were threatened as the price of diesel hit a new record high in the Canary Islands.
A litre went up to 0.565 euros on Tenerife and 0.568 euros in the rest of Santa Cruz de Tenerife province (La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro).
That prompted ASAGA (provincial Farmers and Stockbreeders Association) to announce talks with the transport sector and other agricultural organisations with a view to a joint demonstration.
The association also maintained contact with the Canarian Government’s Economy and Treasury Councillor, José Carlos Mauricio, to seek financial aid to cushion the blow of spiralling crude oil prices and appealed to Madrid for compensation.
On Tenerife, super was selling at 0.702 euros per litre, superstar at 0.689 euros and unleaded at 0.652 euros.
Barranco funding approved.
The Tenerife Cabildo has approved a project costing 2.7 million euros for the Barranco de Troya which divides the touristic zones of Arona and Adeje. At its last meeting, the Government commission agreed to give the first phase of the project the go ahead which will need an investment 1.4 million euros.
At present, in times of heavy rain, the roads and installations near the sides of the barranco become quickly flooded as the existing drainage system does not absorb the flow of the water adequately. The first phase of the work will involve the installation of equipment to capture the rainfall, wells to distribute the water and the construction of specific points where the water will flow back into the barranco.
Councillor for Tourism and Planning, Jose Manuel Bermudez explained that given the urgency of the work on the Troya Barranco, it will be given priority over the repairs to the road surface of the Avenida Rafael Puig which are currently being carried out.
New taxi fares in Arona.
Arona taxis have a new set of tariffs with the minimum daytime fare now 1.75 euros, while the night-time and fiesta rate is 2.15 euros. The charge per kilometre is 40 cents and the same sum applies to entering and leaving Los Cristianos port and the supplement for a radio taxi call-out. A study by the Consumers Federation revealed that taxi fares on Tenerife were the cheapest in Spain.
While the minimum night journey on the island could cost 2.10 euros, the same trip in Tarragona was 5.15 euros.