Fuerteventura Island Council rejects ten appeals from quad and buggy companies over failure to meet natural environment requirements

The Governing Council of Fuerteventura Island Council has agreed to reject appeals for reconsideration submitted as part of the procedure to regulate commercial vehicle traffic—including quads, buggies and similar vehicles—on the Island’s nature routes. The appeals failed to meet the required criteria.

Reports from the Department of Spatial Planning, along with additional reports from departments such as Industry and the Environment, support the rejection of ten of the eleven appeals submitted by commercial vehicle companies. The appeals were made under a public call launched by the Island Council to regulate this type of vehicle on Fuerteventura’s Official Network of Routes in the Natural Environment, with places allocated by public draw.

The procedure provides for a limited number of places, at set times and only on designated routes. A public draw is used to apply a quota system to each route proposed by the town councils, including the number of places and their location. After the draw, it was found that the vast majority of companies did not meet the requirement to have electric vehicles in their fleets, one of the key conditions for operating in the natural environment.

Island Council President Lola García stressed the need to regulate all activities carried out in natural areas, “respecting the fragility of the land and sensitive areas”. “It is essential that all requirements are met when combining these activities with environmental protection.”

Nereida Calero, the councillor for Spatial Planning, said: “These vehicles must always be driven in compliance with the required conditions, so that the activity causes no damage to the environment or the natural surroundings and does not affect residents.”