The Port Authority and the Port Police have started to step in over tuk-tuks as the city gets more and more chaotic. Both organisations say there is “no specific plan” for these tourist vehicles, but the truth is that their parking is watched, they are cautioned when they block pavements or highways, and they can’t get to places like the cruise terminal. In the latter case, only one company in the sector is allowed to do business, thanks to a private deal with the concessionaire.
A video shows a Port Police officer telling a tuk-tuk driver to leave the area and giving him a stern warning: “I won’t see you here again!” The scene, which was taken near the beach, shows that there are regulations in place even though there is no official plan in place to stop these tourist cars.
Internal accounts show small differences. The Port Authority said that its police department follows “standard procedures” to stop people from parking on the sidewalk, warn drivers when they stop where they shouldn’t and give tickets in the worst circumstances. They also stress that their powers are limited and that they can’t stop cars from moving around the port area as long as they follow traffic laws.
Police sources, on the other hand, paint a far worse picture: a “lawless city,” no clear orders, and only occasional action when cops come across cars parked illegally. They agree that there is no clear rule and that one won’t be made soon.
The Old Town
The Port Authority made this step after the City Council forbade tuk-tuks from entering the Old Town. They found that the licences given out by the city were against the Low Emission Zone, which has been in place since the beginning of the year. The PP and Vox parties passed the law a year ago. It already said that motorised tourist cars couldn’t get in, but the City Council kept giving them permission to enter a neighbourhood with camera-controlled access for months. The Traffic Department told the three enterprises in the sector that their previous permits were no longer valid and that they could no longer do business in the historic centre after November 10th.
But the restriction in the Old Town hasn’t stopped people from doing things in the rest of the city. Tuk-tuks have moved their base of operations to the waterfront, where they can easily park on sidewalks in the Postiguet neighbourhood, Plaça del Mar or in waiting spaces adjacent to hotels along the seaside promenade. These things, which are not allowed for any other kind of vehicle, are now widespread in the city’s tourism sector. The lack of a controlled parking area and a complete set of rules leave the activity in a regulatory vacuum, which adds to the sense of chaos.
The drivers know about the new scenario, but it hasn’t hurt their business. “We’ve had to tell those who wanted to go up to the Old Town that it’s not allowed,” one of them says, noting that the itineraries now focus on the Basilica of Santa María, San Fernando Castle, or the shoreline. There is still a lot of demand from tourists, and many of them don’t know about the new rule. “People keep asking to go to Santa Cruz, and they’re sad when we tell them we can’t go up,” the same driver says.
Reasons
The city’s opposition has been asking for answers. Compromís wants to know why the tuk-tuks kept running when a law from 2010 already limited access to unauthorised vehicles. They also want to know why action wasn’t done sooner and what the licenses and fines were for. People who live in the Old Town say that they have been overcrowded and treated unfairly for years. They say that the tuk-tuks have blocked entrances, walkways and pedestrian spaces, making it hard for them to get around.
Regulation is moving forward in fits and starts, with measures that don’t fit together. The City Council has closed the Old Town, and the Port Authority has started giving warnings and orders. Police sources say they are acting without specific directions, and tuk-tuks have found other places to operate without any problems in an area where there are no clear laws. The Port Authority’s action is another step in a succession of actions that, for now, don’t come close to providing a full solution.
Author: Derek Appleton
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