After several delays, Naviera Armas is finalizing the new line that could begin operating in November. Fabián Martín confirms that the works on the Arrecife Dock have been completed and at least they will try to use it as a stopover

The maritime line with Tarfaya leans towards Fuerteventura and Lanzarote now fights not to be left out of the route

It is a maritime line expected on both sides of the Atlantic. From both continents, it is trusted as a potential. Some for expansion, as is the case of the Chambers of Commerce of the islands, ...

October 29 2007 (20:09 WET)
The maritime line with Tarfaya leans towards Fuerteventura and Lanzarote now fights not to be left out of the route
The maritime line with Tarfaya leans towards Fuerteventura and Lanzarote now fights not to be left out of the route

It is a maritime line expected on both sides of the Atlantic. From both continents, it is trusted as a potential. Some for expansion, as is the case of the Chambers of Commerce of the islands, and others for development, as the Yara family, in charge of the "Bahía" craft shop, in the coastal town of Tarfaya, points out in hope. Now, after months of bureaucratic processing, in which Fuerteventura and Lanzarote have competed to be the first stopover of the union between the archipelago and this Moroccan fishing village, it seems that the majorera island has won the pulse and in three weeks a ship of Naviera Armas will begin to operate with Fuerteventura. Although, as explained by the vice president of the Cabildo, Fabián Martín, Lanzarote is still trying "not to be left out", and to be a "point of connection on this line".

According to the vice president, the works of the Port of Los Mármoles that were initiated to adapt the infrastructures to the requirements of Puerto Schengen are already finished waiting for the Government Delegation to certify its completion. "Afterwards, the Naviera has to go to the Ministry to request the line, and once it does, the permits to operate will be given", specifies Fabián Martín.

From the company Naviera Armas they have not yet officially spoken, since "in view of the problems that have occurred, the company prefers to have everything clear", especially, in terms of the safety and operability of the route, but it is estimated that the line will be up and running in three weeks. A date that according to Fabián Martín is not enough to finish the processing, so for the moment everything points to it starting with Fuerteventura.

The only certainty is that last Friday, a ship of the company docked in the Port of Tarfaya, where several technical tests have been carried out during this weekend. There, the operators are finalizing the preparations to install the mechanical ramp and leave the dock facilities ready, since according to Soubaf Bachir, representative of the company that manages the port of Tarfaya, Tarima, "if everything goes well, in three weeks it will begin to operate with Fuerteventura". "The line is very important for us", Bachir values, "I think there will be an official inauguration, where political representatives from both sites will come".

On Friday, it was the second time that an Armas ship arrived at the Tarfaya dock. The first was in July of last year when this maritime line was a project and began to take the first steps to make the expected maritime union between Canary Islands and Morocco, separated by just 90 kilometers a reality. This Monday, the same ship that has been docked in Tarfaya for two days, will arrive at the Port of Rosario, on the island of Majorera.

Lanzarote en route

The Cabildo of Lanzarote has been defending Arrecife as a stopover on the line between the Canary Islands and Morocco before the Ministry of Development for months. In principle, the company Naviera Armas had planned to establish the route with Fuerteventura, but the lack of declaration of Puerto Shengen of the dock of Puerto del Rosario paralyzed the concession.

Given this delay, in May, the company expressed its intention to unite the Moroccan town with Lanzarote, but despite the fact that the Muelle de Los Mármoles is Puerto Shengen, the facilities were not prepared to receive passengers from third countries and a procedure had to be initiated to condition the port, which also delayed the establishment of the line.

Now the conditioning works have been completed but the company has not yet spoken. "What we are trying and have always tried is for Lanzarote to participate in that route", declared Fabián Martín.

Most read