Tenerife Council President Rules Out Highway Tolls

Tenerife’s transport policy has become a hot topic after Island Council President Rosa Dávila ruled out introducing tolls on the TF-1 and TF-5 highways. The confusion arose because the Island Sustainable Mobility Plan (PIMSIT)—a long-term strategy document for the next 20 years—included potential pricing systems for road use.

Dávila clarified that there is a clear distinction between technical planning and political policy. She explained that the mention of congestion pricing in the PIMSIT draft was a leftover from the previous socialist administration and does not reflect the current government’s agenda. She stressed that including a study of options in a long-term plan is not the same as planning to implement them, and she firmly distanced her administration from any plans to charge drivers for road use.

The debate highlights the ongoing struggle with traffic congestion on the island. While the PIMSIT aims to address this through various strategies, the Island Council maintains that charging drivers is not an option until a reliable public transport system is in place. Mobility Councilor Eulalia García added that improving bus services, increasing frequency, and adding high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes must come first.

The island government’s priority is to improve infrastructure, enhance the TITSA bus service, and build more park-and-ride facilities before considering any restrictions. Dávila was clear: the solution to traffic jams is to provide a public transport system so efficient that people choose to leave their cars at home, rather than forcing them to do so through taxes. With these comments, the Council hopes to end the uncertainty, confirming that no work is being done to introduce tolls on the island’s main roads.