El Hierro wants free inter-island maritime transport for Canarian residents

The Vice President of the El Hierro Cabildo, David Cabrera, has advocated for free inter-island maritime transport for Canarian residents during a plenary session of the island's governing body.

Cabrera said that this measure is comparable to the free train passes in mainland Spain because, for islands like El Hierro, the ferry is equivalent to these modes of transportation and the main way to get to the island.

Cabrera argued that this measure would be entirely feasible if the Canary Islands Government added an additional 25% bonus to the quarterly reimbursement it provides to Naviera Armas, bringing the subsidy to a total of 100%, as residents already get 75% discount covered by the Government.

"This would be a genuine palliative measure that would directly benefit the approximately 3,500 residents who regularly use this transport to get to Tenerife for work, education, medical treatment, and family visits. It would also attract more visitors from other islands to El Hierro" explained Cabrera.

The measure would represent an annual investment of approximately 4 million euros, based on the transportation of vehicles and passengers during a month like August on the route from La Estaca to Los Cristianos, with 100% of passengers being Canarian residents.