A group of residents from Caleta de Famara, made up of parents from the fishing village, has spoken out about the new Mobility Plan, which has involved the installation of dozens of parking spaces at the entrance to the town of Teguise. The rejection of this new image of a space, traditionally dedicated to fishing and the sea and converted into a tourist attraction, has led to the emergence of several protest movements that have denounced the problems in the town.
Following the statements by the Councilor for Traffic and Mobility of the Teguise City Council, Eugenio Robayna, where he stated that the Famara protesters did not represent him and which have been nuanced later by the councilor on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, where he rectified and added that "the protesters do not represent a majority," residents of the town wanted to show their discontent.
To the events of recent weeks, different neighborhood positions have been added. "Enough of thinking so much about the tourist and not listening to the people," insisted a mother from Caleta de Famara. This citizen has assured that since the installation of the new parking spaces in the city, "a walk through the town is an excursion" and you cannot "walk safely" through its streets.
Specifically, a group of twelve citizens, made up of parents, mothers, and residents of the town of Famara, have shown their position after the latest events and have clarified that the City Council's data, which said that there were five more parking spaces, "are not true." In addition, one of their representatives has pointed out to this editorial team that "between 60 and 70 parking spaces have been added for tourists."
A non-consensual decision
The entrance to the town has been modified from one day to the next. "We woke up with Famara changed," she added. Thus, the group of residents has claimed that neither the Residents' Association, with which they have met, nor they have seen any plan prior to the installation of the parking spaces. "It has not been agreed with anyone, the Mobility Plan has been carried out without delivering any Traffic Plan," they assured.
According to this citizen, the Famara Residents' Association was waiting for the document to give the plan the green light. "Supposedly it has been delivered, but is there a traffic plan?" they questioned.
After publicly showing their discontent, this group of parents from Famara requested a meeting with the mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque. In this meeting, "Duque told us that they had not done it well, but that they were not going to move anything," the neighbor assured.
In addition, she has assured that this attitude of the mayor is "irresponsible. It is enraging that politicians think that rectifying makes them lose points," while she has requested that it is important that "they know how to recognize their mistakes. It's okay to take a step back," she added.
"There were not fifteen protesters" in front of the town hall
The neighbor wanted to express the "unreality" of Robayna's words in a recent interview on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero about the number of protesters in front of the Consistory. "We were 43 people, not fifteen," she stated forcefully.
From the group of residents they have explained that a campaign initiated by them and published on Change.org already has more than 1,900 signatures. They have also criticized the position of the councilor of the Teguise City Council, who has assured that this initiative is also voted on by people from other countries. "So, can't someone who comes to Famara as a tourist vote?" the member asked. They believe that the right thing to do is to listen to everyone's opinions, not just those of the residents. "We are in a democracy," she pointed out.
On the other hand, the citizens have encouraged the council to "carry out a statistic and investigate" to find out the residents who have voted in favor of the measure. "Let them do a study to find out the residents who have voted, that for what they want they already do statistics very quickly," she suggested.
Some members have "evidence" that tourists are also "unhappy" with the council's initiative. "There are Germans who loved a quiet Famara," they have defended the campaign on the website.
The dunes are still occupied by cars
Although they have installed the parking spaces in the town, visitors continue to park in protected areas such as Las Dunas. "They are still all full of cars," she pointed out. Meanwhile, "the new parking spaces are empty," as can be seen in the images to which the newspaper has had access.
The councilor's reproaches to the residents for their actions have also given a lot to talk about. They have asked that "they start to sanction." "They have never fined, don't ask us for responsibilities that they don't fulfill," they have recognized.
"Don't ask us for responsibilities that they don't fulfill"
Regarding the issue of dogs entering the beach, citizens are "amazed." "Are you really worried about that having implemented a Mobility Plan?" they said indignantly. They open the door to an understanding with the Consistory. "I would have loved to meet with Robayna, I'm sure he would have put himself in our shoes," the neighbor concluded.
