anaga traffic chaos residents demand action

Anaga traffic chaos returns as residents demand action

Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.

Traffic chaos returns to Anaga

The Anaga Rural Park is once again facing serious vehicle saturation problems. Tailbacks on the approach roads to Cruz del Carmen have again stretched for more than a kilometre, reaching as far as the Jardina viewpoint, a situation that has sparked renewed anger among local residents.

The issue has also erupted on social media after a visitor posted a video showing the long queues of vehicles and expressing frustration at the situation. Several residents’ associations in Anaga, including the Mayores Quinteto de Anaga group, have shared the footage and used it to urge those responsible for tourism promotion to encourage visitors to use public transport to reach the natural park.

“It’s about time that those in charge of promoting the area from abroad recommended the use of public transport,” said the group, which also believes that “the use of hire cars is completely inadvisable” given the difficulties currently faced when driving through Anaga. “Even the foreign tourists are complaining now,” the association added.

A long-running problem

The current queues add to a problem that Anaga’s residents’ associations have been highlighting for years. The pressure caused by vehicles, particularly at the most popular tourist spots, has become one of the main grievances for people living in the area. The problem is especially acute at Cruz del Carmen, where residents say the gridlock, which previously occurred mainly at weekends and on public holidays, has now become a regular occurrence.

The associations believe that the increase in visitor numbers, combined with a lack of mobility planning, has worsened problems that already existed in the area. The frustration led eight residents’ associations in Anaga to organise a demonstration at Cruz del Carmen in March to demand solutions to vehicle overcrowding and mobility issues. The groups involved were El Til and Pico del Inglés, from Casas de la Cumbre; Mayores Quinteto de Anaga and Nube Gris, from Roque Negro; Roque de las Bodegas, San José de Taborno and Nuestra Señora de Begoña, from Begoña; and La Voz del Valle, from Taganana.

At the time, the groups said that problems with mobility, road safety, public transport and basic services had worsened in recent years due to the increase in visitors. The protest focused particularly on Cruz del Carmen, which residents consider one of the main problem hotspots in the Rural Park.

Infrastructure and parking demands

Among the demands put forward by residents is the need to improve the road infrastructure itself. The groups have called for the repair of drainage ditches, the creation of passing places to allow vehicles to cross, and the removal or modification of certain wooden barriers, arguing that the current conditions could increase the risk of accidents and make it difficult for traffic to flow.

Another issue highlighted is the lack of parking. Residents have complained about the loss of spaces following the installation of barriers and have called for new parking areas to be created.

Public transport under the spotlight

Public transport is another long-standing demand from residents. People living in Taganana, Almáciga, Benijo and Roque de las Bodegas have previously pointed out that the guagua (bus) service is insufficient for those who depend on it to travel for work, education or medical appointments. Now, the Mayores Quinteto de Anaga group has put public transport back on the table, but from a different angle: that it should also be an alternative for visitors entering the Rural Park.

The request comes at a time when images of the tailbacks are once again highlighting the pressure on Anaga’s roads. In addition to everyday mobility problems, residents have warned of the danger posed by the build-up of vehicles on narrow roads with few places to pull over. A congested road can make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass and complicate any potential evacuation, particularly in an area with such challenging terrain as Anaga. Residents therefore believe the problem is not limited to the inconvenience caused by queues, but also affects road safety and the quality of life of those living in the Rural Park.

While images of the traffic jams continue to circulate on social media, residents’ associations are maintaining their call for a specific mobility plan for Anaga that would allow the arrival of visitors to be balanced with the needs of residents and the protection of this natural space.

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