The main trade unions in Santa Cruz de Tenerife have expressed concern over the impact the imminent implementation of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) will have on the Local Police. They argue that the new regulation, already initially approved by the City Council, could lead to a reduction in police officers on the streets dedicated to citizen security, as they would have to assume new control and supervision duties for the LEZ.
The union organizations denounce the lack of collective bargaining and demand organizational, legal, and occupational risk prevention guarantees. They point out that managing the LEZ will involve the Local Police in tasks such as access control, incident supervision, citizen attention related to the sanctioning system, and the operation of automated control systems.
“"The implementation of the LEZ could mean a significant reduction in police personnel currently assigned to citizen security functions, prevention, and ordinary incident response. The existence of specific staff reinforcement to assume new functions without affecting ordinary service is not proven."
The unions criticize the absence of a specific report in the file that analyzes the real impact of these new obligations on the police force and quantifies the necessary personnel, material resources, training, or budgetary resources. They warn that inadequate planning could divert officers from their essential duties, affecting the ordinary provision of public service.
Furthermore, the lack of specific assessment of occupational risks associated with the new regulation is highlighted, including increased operational pressure, citizen conflict, and psychosocial risks arising from the practical application of the ordinance.
Therefore, they request the suspension of the ordinance's processing until the collective bargaining process is completed and the necessary guarantees are incorporated to protect both the quality of public service and the rights of the affected workers. The ordinance, initially approved in April, restricts traffic for gasoline vehicles registered before 2001 and diesel vehicles before 2026 within the city's inner perimeter, from Monday to Saturday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
