As Spain moves towards a greener transport model, the Canary Islands is leading the way with a law that aims to adapt mobility policies to its island reality.
Meanwhile, national sustainability legislation, a key proposal to reduce emissions from the sector, is still awaiting final approval.
The contrast between the two initiatives lies not only in their objectives, but also in the level of progress and approach.
In conversation with Mobility Portal España, Ana Solá, CEO of CINESI, a consultancy specializing in this topic, points out:
“The Sustainable Mobility Law in the Canary Islands is in an advanced stage of processing and its approval is expected in the coming months.”
What are the main differences between the two?
The regional regulatory framework is adapted to the particularities of a territory with a high dependence on maritime and air transport, something that is not specifically contemplated in national legislation.
“Its development responds to the need for regulation that takes into account the geographic, social and economic particularities of the archipelago,” he explains.
On the other hand, the national one focuses on reducing urban emissions.
The central theme of this plan is the promotion of public transport, active mobility and the electrification of the vehicle fleet, as well as guaranteeing the charging infrastructure necessary for these purposes.
Instead, the Canary Islands proposal adds actions designed to mitigate insularity and its challenges.
“It includes specific measures such as the electrification of island fleets and the promotion of intermodal transport adapted to the local context,” Solá explains.
María Fernández, Director-General for Transport and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, highlighted in the Global Mobility Call that the law is an opportunity to create the perfect ecosystem that guarantees citizens “safe and sustainable alternatives”.
In line with this, the regulations will include specific strategies to reduce emissions in inter-island transport.
For its part, the state government intends to speed up the transition to electric vehicles and decarbonise freight transport, issues of general scope.
The Canary Islands Law stands out for its participatory approach.
“We want this to be a law for the Canary Islands, not just for the Executive,” said Fernández.
To this end, technical meetings have been organised on all the islands, where professionals, local administrations and citizens have been able to provide suggestions for the legislative draft.
This approach contrasts with the national model, which is more centralised but equally oriented towards transparency and inclusion.
What is the main challenge facing the islands?
“Balancing the needs for inter-island connectivity with environmental sustainability, in addition to overcoming funding limitations and resistance to change in some sectors,” says Solá.
This is crucial, especially considering that the region relies heavily on energy from fossil fuels.
Among the solutions proposed by the Canarian Government, the electrification of municipal buses stands out.
This not only seeks to reduce the carbon footprint, but also to offer viable alternatives to the use of private vehicles, which remains predominant in the region.
CINESI has implemented several projects, including a recent case carried out for the Consell Insular de Mallorca, focused on analysing the island’s road capacity.
This study showed the negative impact of excess vehicles.
“Currently, the island has a motorization rate of 912 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, a figure that far exceeds its capacity,” she says.
The analysis concluded that there is a surplus of between 90,000 and 120,000 cars, which underlines the importance of adopting measures to improve sustainability and mobility in the region.
CINESI designs comprehensive solutions that include planning infrastructure for sustainable transport, developing more efficient public transport networks and promoting active mobility, such as the use of bicycles.
“As consultants, our role is to offer each client a range of solutions tailored to their specific needs, providing tools and strategies to transform mobility in their territories,” she says.
What trends does CINESI foresee for the future of eMobility?
Tools such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning or Big Data allow the identification of patterns and trends in mobility issues to subsequently develop predictive analysis systems.
“A growing trend is real-time information to be able to plan and provide solutions in more detail, adapting them to the needs of each user,” says Solá.
This will help citizens make more informed decisions about their travel, promoting the use of more sustainable means of transport.
