Machín (Territorial Policy): "Before August I expect to have the prohibition of buggies in Lanzarote"

The Minister of Territorial Planning, Territorial Policy and Tourism Planning of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Jesús Machín Tavío (Coalición Canaria), intervened this Tuesday morning on Radio Lanzarote - Onda Cero to address the growing controversy on the island regarding constant tourist buggy excursions through its natural spaces and rustic land. 

"Before August, I expect to have the precautionary prohibition of the activity," the island minister began on Buenos días, Lanzarote, indicating that this temporary prohibition will affect all rustic land on the island. 

Machín justified that these tourist excursions generate an "impact on our ecosystem" and insisted that even if the land on which they take place "is not a [protected] natural space, it does not mean it does not cause harm." 

To move forward with this prohibition, Machín assured that he has "all the pertinent reports," from the areas of Environment, Territorial Policy, and the Biodiversity Area of the Government of the Canary Islands, among others. "I also have the Heritage report, where it is plausible that either we stop the activity or we will have considerable deterioration," he continued. 

In this regard, the Guatiza Neighbors Association pointed out during a recent interview with La Voz that these excursions generated serious environmental and landscape consequences, affecting the island's characteristic sandy soil cultivation. 

"The law supports me in precautionary prohibition until there is another type of solution, given the disastrous result it entails for our natural environment and our cultural heritage," Machín stated during his radio appearance.

"A somewhat complicated legal loophole"

The minister also indicated that "no municipality has granted an operating license" to these companies offering buggy excursions on the island. However, he explained that they have not been prohibited until now because there is "a somewhat complicated legal loophole." 

"We are instrumentalizing it very well, because they are companies that can defend themselves," explained Machín, who pointed out that "the activity will not be prohibited," but rather they must go "on asphalt" and "what is prohibited is on rustic land," he continued. 

The head of Territorial Policy assured that he will likely meet with the municipalities of Lanzarote and local police agents next week to inform them of this decision. 

"We have fined them in recent days, but it is more profitable for them to pay the fine than to stop the activity," indicated the counselor. Faced with this reality, he added that with this prohibition he has everything "very put together and I hope to finish it before August." 

This precautionary prohibition would mean that companies could not operate on rural land and if they did, there would be a "quite forceful" sanction. In principle, Machín explained that companies that commit the infraction will be fined, and they could be reported criminally in case of recidivism.