Tenerife Island Council Admits Structural Staff Shortage Crippling Tram Service

The operational crisis at Metropolitano de Tenerife is no longer just a concern raised by unions; it is now an official admission by the Island Council. Following the company’s latest plenary session, it has been confirmed that a structural staff shortage is undermining the tram service’s reliability and punctuality.

Eulalia García, the Minister of Mobility, confirmed that the staffing crisis affects the entire organization, including drivers, administration, planning, and maintenance. This shortage has created a bottleneck in management and left the company struggling to meet the increased demand caused by recent fare-free public transport policies.

During the plenary session, the Socialist Group highlighted staff dissatisfaction regarding the agreements made last January to end a previous strike. Socialist spokesperson Aarón Afonso pointed to overcrowded stops as evidence of poor planning and a decline in service quality. While the Minister argued that many labor commitments have been met, she acknowledged that progress has been uneven.

The Island Council noted several achievements, such as the approval of an equality plan, new risk prevention protocols, and completed electrical training. However, the council admitted that work remains, specifically regarding the update of surveillance protocols, the review of occupational risk assessments, and the replacement of materials due to dust issues in the facilities.

This situation follows warnings from the Comisiones Obreras union, which has called for the Island Council to intervene in what they describe as a stalemate in collective bargaining. Although the Minister denied rumors that the company’s manager, Pedro Ribeiro, intends to resign, the company has announced a plan to hire more drivers and expand its maintenance and regulation teams. Ultimately, the future of the tram service depends on the company’s ability to resolve these staffing issues and maintain consistent communication with its workforce to prevent further service decline.