What changes for bus passengers in Playa Blanca?

Playa Blanca is getting new bus shelters, and the Cabildo de Lanzarote plans to replace 24 of them along the town route. The go-ahead came from the Ayuntamiento (town council) of Yaiza, whose signature on the cooperation decree allows the tender.

According to the project, the shelters will have solar panels, LED lights and passenger information boards. They are meant to shield people from sun and rain while they wait for the guagua (the local bus).

Cabildo president Oswaldo Betancort promised better access for people with reduced mobility and safer footpaths. The 2024 announcement already included wider pavements and changes to stops that do not meet the rules.

Passengers do not need to do anything at the moment. The reports say nothing about new fares or other rules.

It is unclear whether stops will be closed or moved during the works. Nobody has published any details yet.

When will work on the bus stops begin?

Neither the council nor the Cabildo has named a start date so far. The council's statement expressly leaves costs and timetable open.

Transport councillor Beatriz Vázquez says the Cabildo must now tender, award and carry out the work. Whether it has already published or awarded the tender is not confirmed.

Mayor Óscar Noda wants a tender “without further delay”. Residents and visitors in Playa Blanca deserve “dignified and comfortable bus stops”, he says.

Back in September 2024, Noda said the project would take time. About 14 months have passed since then, and no diggers have arrived.

Who pays for the new bus shelters?

The Canary Islands government's Tourism and Employment department has approved 895,061.20 euros for the Cabildo. The money comes from the island strategy for tourism infrastructure, line 1, covering accessibility, safe mobility and connections.

The approval was reported on 29 December 2025, and our research found no entry in the BOC (the Canaries' official gazette). The money is booked under budget line 16.05.432B.760.04 and project 247G0179.

That works out at about 37,300 euros per stop. This is our own calculation, as nobody has published an official price per shelter.

It is also unclear who will maintain the shelters once they are built. No information is available.

Why has the project taken so long?

In September 2024, the Cabildo and Yaiza announced roofed shelters for 24 stops. Noda called it a long-standing demand from the council and from passengers.

Since then, the council has had to sign the decree three times because the file needed changes and corrections. Noda says Yaiza has done everything needed to release the file.

The mayor considers the current shelters outdated. Their condition has prompted many complaints from residents, he says.

No individual complaints are available. There is also no statement from the Cabildo.

In Costa Teguise, the Cabildo has put more than 600,000 euros into 15 shelters. At the end of December 2025, the work was close to completion.

One reader criticised the model as poor protection from wind and sun, costing almost 40,000 euros per shelter. There is no evidence for this claim.

What else is happening with buses in Playa Blanca?

On route 30 to Playa Blanca, two new buses are meant to halve the average wait from 30 to 15 minutes. In all, the Cabildo announced six new IVECO Crossway Line buses on 5 May 2026.

Betancort says more than 30 new buses have been bought during the current term. The tender for the new intercity bus contract was announced for the summer, but whether it went ahead is not confirmed.

The next visible step would be the Cabildo tendering the shelters. There is no date for that.