La Massana Approves Strict Rules for Bikes and Motor Vehicles in Natural Areas

La Massana parish council unanimously approved an ordinance on Wednesday regulating access and activities in natural areas, confining downhill and enduro bikes to the Pal Arinsal bike park and designated tracks, restricting motorized vehicles to paths wider than 2.5 meters, and authorizing vehicle seizures for serious violations.

The rules categorize uses into three groups to promote coexistence among leisure pursuits, property rights, livestock activities, and pedestrian access. Pedestrians may use all areas except the bike park. Downhill and enduro bikes are limited to the bike park, while cross-country bikes can also follow signposted routes. Motorized vehicles face strict limits: off-road types confined to tracks over 2.5 meters wide; motorcycles barred from Camí Ral, Camí dels Menairons, narrow paths without permission, and—along with 4x4s—from Parc Natural del Comapedrosa, except for authorized cases.

Cònsol Menor Roger Fité presented the ordinance as a way to manage rising pressures on communal lands from sports events, unauthorized "secret trails" created by cyclists causing erosion, motorized incursions, and complaints from residents and farmers. He emphasized regulation over bans to ensure space for all users, safeguard the environment for future generations, meet recent legal requirements, and support economic and tourism development. Cònsol Major Eva Sansa noted it would help eliminate illicit paths. Minority councillor Guillem Forné welcomed it as addressing broad community concerns.

Penalties range from €100 for minor breaches to €3,000 for the gravest, with council staff, banders, or police able to seize bikes or motorcycles preemptively, especially from foreign users who often evade fines. Unpaid penalties after the legal period could lead to permanent confiscation and auction.

The updated rules build on prior regulations with enhanced sanctions and will go to the cònsols meeting as a template for nationwide consistency, aiding enforcement by groups like banders and streamlining event management. Apapma president Carles Iriarte endorsed the penalties as suitable for curbing erosion, particularly from downhill bikes in Pal, though he said a full ban is improbable due to cycling's economic importance.

Cycling and motorcycling federations responded cautiously Thursday. Federació Andorrana de Ciclisme vice-president Joan Turné expressed surprise and sought a meeting with the council to clarify implementation, stressing shared goals of mountain protection and space for all. Federació Motociclista d’Andorra incoming president Joan Patrick Lasmolles prioritized environmental respect and ongoing talks with parishes and the environment minister.

In the session, the council started a land swap with a private owner for a 73.6-square-meter plot on Avinguda Sant Antoni for public use, trading an equivalent roadside strip after declassification, consultation, and notarization. It also greenlit a national tender for plants, trees, soil, and fertilizers ahead of landscaping works. Laia Alonso took the oath as new general secretary, succeeding Laura Camps.