Lanzarote volcano shuttle bus scheme “successful”

The Cabildo has claimed that the pilot scheme that transports tourists to the Volcán del Cuervo and Caldera Blanca in shuttle buses is a success.

The scheme began last Friday and will continue for a fortnight. It involves the closure of car parking areas within the National Park, with visitors instead encouraged to park at Mancha Blanca and take a free shuttle bus to the two popular walking areas.

Cabildo President Oswaldo Betancort said that ” we will extend this model to other sensitive areas of our natural heritage”.

However, the director of the Timanfaya National Park, Pascual Gil, has strongly criticised current and previous island governments in an interview with la Voz de Lanzarote. Gil claims that the park has been requesting the closure of parking zones, including the one at Timanfaya’s Islote de Hilario, for over 20 years.

He complained that none of the money raised by the tourist centres was spent on conservation of the National Park, and that it was taxpayers who had to foot the bill for cleaning up the mess caused by tourists who are forced to wait in long queues to enter the Fire Mountains.

“Right now the car park at Timanfaya is worse than a shopping centre at Christmas and is a danger to people,” said Gil.

 “The logical thing would be for people to drive their cars to Yaiza or Tinajo, park them there, have a coffee, a sandwich, or whatever, and from there take the bus to the Islote de Hilario, and from Hilario, the same bus would take them on the Volcano Route.”