The regional government of Madeira is preparing a set of measures to improve safety and environmental protection on major hiking routes, including restricting entrances, the environment minister said on Friday.
Rafaela Fernandez explained that the director intends to count the number of entries on the most tourist routes, preventing congestion in these places, noting that this will be done through “automated mechanized solutions”, for example in car parks.
The regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the presentation of the unmanned surface vehicle serving the region for scientific research, which took place at the Operations Centre of the Madeira Ocean Observatory in Funchal.
According to Rafaela Fernandes, the measure will apply to routes such as Ponta de São Lourenço, the route between Pico do Areiro and Pico Ruivo, between Achada do Teixeira and Pico Ruivo, and the Rabasal area.
The goal, the person in charge stressed, is for the Madeira mountains to be considered a “great museum of nature”, properly regulated and protected.
In addition, the regional government of the PSD minority wants to designate some routes for which tourists must register in advance and be accompanied by a guide, said Rafaela Fernandez, noting that the measure does not apply to local residents.
The regional environment minister also announced that a project is being prepared to build the Ponta de San Lorenzo route on the eastern end of the island, which includes the construction of a pedestrian path.
“Ponta de São Lourenço is one of our priority areas now in terms of intervention, once this stage of public administration is completed, where the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation will make major investments to create the coordination to achieve this path,” he said.
According to the regional secretary, this measure, on the one hand, will increase the safety of the trail, and on the other, will ensure environmental protection.
The goal, he stressed, is for visitors to “understand that visiting the Ponta de San Lourenço is like entering a museum.”
“There are traffic rules, people should be careful not to put themselves in danger and, above all, enjoy the whole trip in peace,” he added.
Control of parking and traffic in areas with the highest tourist flow, as well as the introduction of charges for waste disposal, are other aspects that the Madeiran government is working on.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.