The residents of the town of Guatiza have publicly expressed their discomfort with the tourist excursions of buggies and quads that circulate through the rural and urban environment and have denounced that they fail to comply with the Regulatory Ordinance of the Transit of Quads through the Municipal District published in the BOP No. 14, of January 29, 2010.
In a press release, the residents of the town have indicated that the constant presence of these excursions is generating "serious environmental and landscape impacts in the area", such as soil erosion, destruction of rural roads, alteration of trails, impact on biodiversity, invasion of private spaces, and increased noise and suspended dust pollution. In addition, they have pointed out that "this type of tourist practice directly affects the quality of life of residents, causing daily annoyances, especially during rest hours and in residential areas".
In addition to environmental concerns, there is "an increasingly tense situation in coexistence": residents have denounced "episodes of bad behavior, insults, and even threats from some participants in these routes when they are called out for driving improperly or invading unauthorized spaces".
Faced with this situation, the affected people have demanded the following from the Teguise City Council:
1. The strict and urgent application of the Municipal Ordinance that regulates and restricts the transit of these vehicles. This Ordinance indicates in art. 2 that it "intends to protect urban roads and especially the rural roads of the municipality in order to protect them from the deterioration they suffer from the passage of vehicles of these characteristics". This fact is systematically violated every day.
2. The increase in police surveillance and control, especially in urban centers and areas of special environmental sensitivity. The regulatory norm indicates in its art. 6 that the routes and roads that may be used will be "routes whose surface is paved with asphalt conglomerate", an element that we demonstrate with the attached images that is not done in this way.
3. The adoption of firm measures to stop an activity that, far from contributing to sustainable tourism, is deteriorating the natural and cultural heritage of Guatiza, and putting citizen coexistence at risk.
In this sense, the residents have recalled that "responsible tourism must be compatible with the conservation of the environment and respect for the local population, and that this type of massive buggy activities is incompatible with these principles".
At the same time, they have pointed out that the constant presence of these excursions "is generating a serious environmental and landscape impact in the area, with soil erosion, destruction of rural roads, alteration of trails, impact on biodiversity, invasion of private spaces, and increased noise and suspended dust pollution".
In addition to all this, they have revealed "the negative impact on the quality of life of residents due to daily annoyances, especially during rest hours, as well as the state of emotional anxiety that the frequency with which these activities are repeated generates in us".
The residents have already met on several occasions to demand that the City Council act on these serious infractions, even with the Councilor of the Environment area, with whom they have announced that they have a next meeting pending.
