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GSD urges full disclosure over foreign car ban

The GSD has urged the Government to disclose the details of its ban on foreign cars entering the Upper Rock Nature Reserve and the consultation process behind the new policy.

In a statement the GSD said it is incredible how Government will defend a ‘rushed policy’ whilst failing to acknowledge the implications of the same as exchanges on the issue continued yesterday.

The GSD stated that the Minister of Tourism, Samantha Sacramento, confirmed in an interview with GBC that the move forms part of the Nature Reserve Management Plan.

According to the GSLP/Liberal manifesto this was to be rolled out after full consultation with stakeholders, the GSD said.

Lawrence Llamas, Opposition spokesman for Tourism, said: “We do not have an issue with the principle of the policy itself. It is the handling of the policy and the foreseeable problems arising from the lack of planning that we want to highlight.”

“Firstly, Government fail to understand the negative experience inflicted on the average tourist who is unaware of this policy and find themselves having to turn around and make last minute transport arrangements to visit the Upper Rock, otherwise, they would have deployed Tourist Board staff to the land frontier and the Upper Rock to provide tourists with customer service and any necessary information rather than having a security officer by Windmill Hill burdened with this duty.”

“Secondly, I would like to trust that Government have taken a holistic approach; however it is hard to believe when there are no exceptions for tourists with disabilities,” he said.

The GSD added that it would like to know what plans the Government has to deal with a taxi service which needs to cater for the city service but will undoubtedly have to expand its rock tour service.

“It certainly is a ‘fabricate as you go along policy’ which was not even been communicated to stakeholders such a hotels.”

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