The demand comes after the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) questioned the limitations and sanctions imposed by the Alicante City Council and the Generalitat Valenciana on tuk-tuk companies. The PSOE points out that "Barcala's government took advantage of the Low Emission Zone ordinance to introduce restrictions on the circulation of these vehicles through the Casco Antiguo, despite still not approving a specific regulation that truly orders this activity in the city".
Socialist councilor Raúl Ruiz has stated that this situation highlights "the chaos and permanent improvisation with which the municipal government is managing the proliferation of tuk-tuks in Alicante". "Barcala has been improvising with tuk-tuks for too long. First, he promised an ordinance that never arrives, and now he intends to solve the problem solely through sanctions and partial prohibitions. Alicante needs clear rules, not whims," denounced Ruiz.
The socialist councilor recalled that as early as June last year, the government team assured in the municipal plenary that the ordinance was "practically prepared" and that months later it even announced restrictions to prevent the circulation of these vehicles through the Casco Antiguo. "The reality is that we are exactly the same: without regulation, without control, and with a legal vacuum caused by the inaction of Barcala's government," insisted Ruiz.
Thus, the PSOE warns that "it is currently common to see tuk-tuks picking up clients directly on the public highway in places like the train station, Playa del Postiguet, or the area around Plaza del Mar, competing de facto with the taxi sector. "If the excuse is that they offer tourist experiences, for transporting tourists there is already the public taxi service. What the City Council cannot allow is for them to operate in practice as a disguised tourist taxi without regulation," stated Ruiz.
The socialist group considers "especially serious the situation in the area of the Port of Alicante, where these vehicles even position themselves in front of the taxi rank to pick up cruise passengers as soon as they disembark". "Today, tuk-tuks have the privilege of positioning themselves in front of the port's own taxi rank to pick up clients. It is the perfect image of the absolute lack of control that exists in Alicante," criticized Ruiz.
Likewise, the socialists have warned of the coexistence and road safety problems generated by these vehicles in areas with high pedestrian traffic, as well as the existing doubts about the safety conditions in which some of them operate. "We have seen up to seven people in three-wheeled vehicles that offer little protection to passengers. That should not be allowed under any circumstances," he added.
The PSOE also considers that limiting the regulation solely to the Casco Antiguo would be "clearly insufficient", given that the activity of these vehicles is also concentrated on the coastal front, the port area, and other tourist spaces in the city.
Therefore, the PSOE has demanded a specific ordinance from the municipal government that regulates authorized routes, departure points, parking, and the minimum safety conditions required. "The City Council has been looking the other way for too long while Alicante operates without clear rules for this type of vehicle. We cannot allow them to continue improvising with tourist mobility, public space, and the livelihoods of our taxi drivers," concluded Ruiz.
