The Fuerteventura Cabildo has rejected 10 of 11 appeals from quad and buggy tour operators challenging decisions on access to the island’s official network of rural routes.
The Cabildo’s governing board dismissed the appeals after its planning department, with input from industry and environmental officials, found that operators had failed to meet the conditions of the scheme. The decision was made public today (Thursday).
One of the key conditions is that operators must have electric vehicles in their fleets. The Cabildo said checks following a public draw found that most of the companies involved fell short of that requirement.
How the route limits work
The scheme gives each designated route a set number of places for commercial vehicles and restricts when those vehicles can use it. Fuerteventura’s town councils proposed the routes and the number of places available on each. The Cabildo uses a public draw to allocate those places, subject to operators meeting the conditions.
For holidaymakers, the decision matters most when booking an excursion that advertises a particular rural route. If the route is part of the island’s official network, its availability depends on whether the operator has been allocated a place and when it is allowed to run tours there. Anyone booking for a specific itinerary can ask the operator which route it uses and whether that route is confirmed for their trip.
The decision concerns commercial excursions on the designated network. The Cabildo’s announcement gave no list of affected operators or changes to individual bookings.
Why the Cabildo is restricting access
Cabildo president Lola García said the island had to manage activity in sensitive natural areas and ensure operators complied with the conditions designed to protect them.
Planning councillor Nereida Calero said commercial tours should operate in a way that avoids damage to the landscape and disruption to residents. Limiting the number of vehicles and setting operating hours gives the council a way to control where and when commercial groups use the tracks.
The decision moves the scheme on from setting out the rules to applying them to individual operators. The announcement gave no outcome for the remaining appeal.
