The presidents of the Southern Nautical Station and the Northern Nautical Station of the island, Rafael Lasso and Bernard Gaziello, have entered the taxi controversy with a press release in which they do not speak of the Auriga, but do express "their outrage" at the treatment that companies dedicated to active leisure tourism "are receiving from some taxi drivers on the island".
According to a press release, also supported by Aetur, "the discontent stems from the relative frequency with which professional drivers from Lanzarote make it difficult for tourism agents to work". Specifically, they claim that "they obstruct the employees of sports and leisure centers from transporting clients in vehicles intended for complementary private transport during the development of contracted activities".
Moreover, within the framework of what they consider "harassment of workers of companies dedicated to active tourism when they transport their clients", they point out that on March 4, "two taxi drivers were able to detain the vehicle of Lanzarote Active Club, with the guide and the clients inside". According to them, the events occurred when the company manager was preparing to pick up some tourists at the Los Zocos hotel and "a couple of taxis blocked her exit, placing one car in front of the van and another in the back".
In addition, they add that the driver "thought it was a coincidence, but when she asked the taxi drivers to clear the exit of the hotel and they did not heed her request, she understood that it was one of the many examples of obstruction to which she is accustomed". Later, and when she was finally on the road, "the Local Police stopped her to inspect the vehicle's documentation and that of the passengers, due to the alleged call from a taxi driver who claimed that the car did not have the papers in order or the permit to transport clients".
Complaint
This chapter that occurred two weeks ago, they say, has "exhausted the patience of the business owners who are trying to provide quality services to their clients in Costa Teguise, and as a result, the manager of Lanzarote Active Club filed a complaint".
In addition, the tourism association of Teguise has requested a meeting with the Councilor for Tourism, Rita Hernández, and the Councilor for the Police, María Soledad Armas, "in order to reach an agreement at the municipal level to avoid unnecessary controls on cars carrying the XPC license".
A different transport
From Aetur and the Nautical Stations of Lanzarote, they maintain that it is normal for companies that offer products related to sports and nature to take charge of the transport of their clients and the material they require, since objects such as surfboards and windsurf sails are difficult to transport in a taxi.
In addition, they add that "taxi drivers often refuse to drive on dirt roads, the main route to reach the points where hiking or mountain biking are practiced". Likewise, according to the associates of the Nautical Stations and Aetur, "taxi drivers do not allow oxygen tanks, essential for the practice of scuba diving, to be carried in their vehicles".