Frustrations due to delays and stalled traffic make people feel desperate. The mobility problems they face daily on many roads are not improving, in fact, it is worsening by the day. They are spreading to other roads in southern Tenerife that should direct traffic to and from the TF-1 motorway.
Old and young, employers and employees, tourists, and residents suffer every day from the problem. From San Isidro to Miraverde, sometimes from beyond, the huge and growing traffic jams in both directions create a major dilemma for anyone using motorways to get around. Not just in the morning and late afternoon but all day and every day. The outcome is other roads are now clogged up too.
The main culprit is population growth and the relocation of many workers from the tourism sector to areas offering affordable accommodation to rent. In the municipalities of Arona, Adeje and Granadilla, the population has increased significantly. For example, the number of registered residents in Adeje has risen from 14,007 to 47,869 over the past two decades, representing a 241% increase.
Traffic problems are expanding, spurred not only by the population explosion but also by the status of the south of the island as a major tourist destination, where many hotels, flats and leisure complexes are concentrated.
It is not the number of rental vehicles that is the problem, but the total number of vehicles on the roads, 800,000 vehicles for 950,000 inhabitants. If we line them up, bumper to bumper, we arrive at a traffic jam of 3,170km.
Traffic problems are compounded by the design of the roads, which are not designed to handle the current volume of traffic. The TF-1 highway suffers from frequent congestion not just in peak hours but during the 10-month peak season. Although efforts are being made to get traffic back on track, the Government has woken too late to alleviate the problems. The tunnelling of the TF-1 between Las Américas and Miraverde, the revision of the entrances to the Las Chafiras industrial estate and the construction of a third lane are progressing very slowly, leading to even more traffic jams.
Residents in southern Tenerife are calling for urgent measures to address mobility problems. There is no doubt that the problems are not only a matter of infrastructure but also of planning and implementing the expansion of the road network. To improve residents’ quality of life and maintain the island’s tourist appeal, a coordinated effort is essential.
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