The Health and Safety Committee of Arrecife Bus reports that private vehicles are occupying the stop at Terminal 1 of César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport, forcing dangerous manoeuvres. Workers warn that they will suspend service at this stop if safety is not guaranteed.
Intercity bus drivers in Lanzarote have issued an ultimatum: if private cars continue to occupy the stop at Terminal 1 of César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport, they will stop there. The warning comes from the Health and Safety Committee, linked to the Workers' Committee of Arrecife Bus, the public transport concessionaire on the island.
According to the workers' representatives, the stop designated for public service in front of T1 has been improperly used by private vehicles parking or remaining in the area for years. This occupation prevents the buses from stopping normally and forces drivers to execute manoeuvres that, in their view, increase the risk of accidents for passengers, pedestrians, and the staff themselves.
The problem, they assert, has been communicated repeatedly to the relevant authorities through meetings, written notices, and warnings, but so far, no definitive solution has been implemented. In the absence of a response, workers have begun to honk their horns upon arriving at T1 as a symbolic protest, and warn that if the situation persists, drivers will continue their route to Terminal 2, skipping the T1 stop.
The staff representation insists that the goal is not to harm users, but to demand urgent action to ensure safety at a high-traffic point for travellers. The T1 stop is used by thousands of passengers connecting to different points on the island, and its possible removal would cause inconvenience and delays.
From Arrecife Bus, the concessionaire, there has been no official statement regarding the drivers' threat, but sources from the committee indicate that the company is aware of the situation and that contacts have been maintained with Aena, the airport manager, and with the Cabildo of Lanzarote, responsible for transport regulation. However, to date, no measures such as the installation of barriers, clearer signage, or surveillance to deter private drivers have been adopted.
Lanzarote Airport, which surpassed 8 million passengers in 2025, is a key infrastructure for the island's tourism economy. Terminal 1 handles most of the international and connecting flights, so the potential loss of the bus stop would particularly affect tourists arriving without their own vehicle and relying on public transport to reach their accommodations.
The drivers have reiterated that their decision is not a whim, but a safety measure. In a statement issued by the committee, they state that "we cannot put the integrity of passengers or our own at risk due to a lack of control that has lasted for years." The horn protest, which has already been heard in recent days, aims to highlight a problem that, they claim, the authorities have ignored.
For now, the drivers are maintaining the stop at T1, but warn that suspension could be applied immediately if the situations they consider dangerous recur. The final decision, according to the committee, will depend on the safety assessment made by the drivers themselves at any given moment.
The conflict highlights the lack of coordination among the various administrations involved: Aena, as the airport manager, the Cabildo of Lanzarote, as responsible for intercity transport, and the San Bartolomé City Council, within whose municipality the airport is located. Workers are calling for an urgent solution that could range from the installation of bollards or automatic barriers to the presence of surveillance to prevent improper parking.
Meanwhile, public transport users on the island are still waiting for the situation to be resolved. The potential removal of the stop at T1 would force passengers to travel to T2, which would be an inconvenience, especially for those with reduced mobility or heavy luggage. The committee has assured that, if the measure is implemented, travellers will be informed in advance through the usual channels and on the buses themselves.
The case of T1 in Lanzarote is not isolated. Other Spanish airports, such as Gran Canaria or Tenerife South, have also experienced similar problems with the occupation of public transport stops, although in those cases control systems have been installed that have reduced the incidence. In Lanzarote, the solution still seems pending.
The drivers hope that their warning will prompt the authorities to take action before it is too late. "We do not want to reach that extreme, but if there is no safety, we cannot stop," they conclude from the committee.
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