Tenerife Town Calls for Action on Quad Bike "Ordeal"
Vilaflor de Chasna's City Council is urging the Cabildo de Tenerife to regulate quad bikes and buggies due to traffic congestion, safety concerns, and environmental damage caused by their increasing use on the island's roads.
The Vilaflor de Chasna City Council recently held a meeting where they discussed a growing problem: the large number of quad bikes, buggies, and similar vehicles using the island's roads that run through their town.
The council approved a motion, put forward by the PSOE party, urging the Cabildo de Tenerife (the island's government) to step in and take action. The PSOE and Coalición Canaria voted in favor of the motion. According to the mayor, Agustina Beltrán (PSOE), the situation has become a "daily ordeal" for residents.
Beltrán explained that groups of up to 25 of these vehicles travel up and down the roads to Mount Teide every day. This causes traffic jams and makes local drivers feel unsafe. She also mentioned that the roads are narrow and winding, making it impossible to overtake the vehicles. Guides often block both lanes of traffic to help the vehicles enter or exit the roads.
She believes this is a dangerous practice that causes problems for everyone using the roads.
The council had already banned these vehicles from using the town's tracks and streets two years ago because they were causing damage. However, the council's authority doesn't extend to the island's main roads, so they are asking the Cabildo to take control and implement regulations.
The motion explains that while this type of tourism brings money to the area, it also has negative effects on the peace and quiet of the countryside, traffic flow, road safety, and the environment.
The vehicles are noisier than regular cars, travel in large groups that disrupt traffic, and access tracks near protected natural areas, which leads to soil erosion and harms wildlife.
The approved motion suggests that the Cabildo create a report on the impact of these vehicles, set speed limits, limit group sizes, and establish time slots for their use. It also calls for increased monitoring with the help of traffic authorities and the Civil Guard.
Furthermore, the motion encourages information campaigns to educate both the companies that organize these tours and the participants themselves about respecting the environment and the local community. It also promotes the development of more sustainable tourism options.
The mayor emphasized that "It is necessary to act firmly and with a legal basis to prevent an uncontrolled model from compromising sustainable development and the quality of life in Vilaflor de Chasna."