The concept of a tourist bus that any traveler associates with large cities, from Las Palmas to London, passing through Madrid, could start operating in Lanzarote. That is, as long as the private initiative that wants to get these types of buses rolling on the island's roads manages to overcome the obstacles it is encountering on the road of bureaucracy, the one that must be traveled between the origin, which is the entrepreneurial idea, and the destination, which is the business reality.
It all started in June 2006 when the promoters of this new concept of tourist visit presented their project to the Cabildo of Lanzarote. The objective was to obtain a pronouncement from the island institution and begin to collect the necessary permits for the implementation of the idea, implemented in the main tourist destinations in the world.
The idea
Lanzarote Vision is the name of the project that aims to provide tourists with the possibility of touring the entire geography of Lanzarote thanks to 2 circular routes, 18 stops, 1 interchange and 4 vehicles. Any tourist could get on a double-decker bus - the upper one uncovered - and tour the island at their own pace, as the vehicles would pass by the stops every hour.
One of the routes would take the following route: Costa Teguise-Arrecife-Monumento al Campesino-Teguise-Haría-Cueva de los Verdes-Jameos del Agua-Arrieta-Jardín del Cactus-Fundación César Manrique-Costa Teguise. The other, in the southern part of the island, would be the following: Puertos del Carmen-Tías-Monumento al Campesino-Mozaga-La Geria-Yaiza-Timanfaya-Playa Blanca-Costa Calero-Puerto del Carmen.
Thus, a tourist who got on the bus in Costa Teguise could get off in Arrecife, take a walk, and an hour later return to the vehicle to reach, for example, Teguise. If once there they decided that they wanted to stay for lunch, they would not be conditioned by the transport, thanks to the hourly frequency. And on the way back to their hotel, they could stop at one of the tourist centers and take the visit at their own pace.
It is a product designed for all audiences - including residents, who could see the island with a different perspective - including those travelers who do not like to hire packages, who prefer to go their own way, without submitting to the scheme of a group excursion. Lanzarote Vision could be an alternative for those who do not know or do not want to drive, including older people and the disabled. All of them would also have access to tourist information in eight languages, endorsed by a qualified guide.
The promoters believe that the project would be beneficial for the tourism sector as it would respond to the concerns of tourists who do not want to travel in a straitjacket, coexisting with the traditional formulas that continue to be in vogue today.
Among the benefits, it even points to the decongestion of tourist centers, which are at their limit during peak hours, as visitors would arrive little by little, with a 60-minute difference, facilitating access.
The idea, which addresses practical issues, also has something of a philosophy: to favor respect for the island. Currently, 65% of what a visitor pays for a tourist package stays outside of Lanzarote. By promoting self-excursions, the visitor would leave more money in the local economy, choosing, among other things, where they eat and where they buy, what they eat and what they buy.
The Cabildo's forecast
The journey of this bus, which began in 2006, has "passed" through six town halls, the two ports, the tourist centers and even private institutions, as well as the Cabildo, because the promoters addressed all these entities to carry out the necessary procedures prior to the start-up. For the moment, and after many procedures, the bus is still "parked" and, therefore, the investment is stopped.
However, the Transport Councilor of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Ramón Bermúdez, assures that in the newly opened year this project will be a reality. "The appropriate reports have been collected, allegations have been opened by the companies that could be affected and right now what is missing is the information on the mileage to, based on that, set rates." Councilor Bermúdez assures that the last procedures are currently being carried out - which affect different departments of the island institution - and that the future of this initiative could be cleared in less than a month. "After that, only the adaptation of the vehicles would remain," concludes the Head of Transport.