The morning of last Monday, The railway operations of the company Perurail, which carries passengers from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo, again were interrupted by a couple of hoursdue to the presence of protesters and tranqueras in the railway sector known as Qoriwayrachina.
Like this, the episodes of demonstrations, blockages and marches, become more latent in Machu Picchu, in the middle of the dispute between two groups of entrepreneurs and settlers, who are looking for Operate the Hiram Bingham roadthe only one that moves visitors from Machu Picchu Pueblo to the doors of the Peruvian world wonder.
In the midst of all this unfortunate panorama are national and foreign tourists, who arrived in Cusco and Machu Picchu in the hope of knowing one of the most iconic destinations in the world, however they saw manifestations, confrontation and even threats, in the midst of a hostile climate that does not benefit the tourism sector or those who depend on it.
Thus, from the ‘Machu Picchu’s interest defense front’they pointed out that they are unemployed since midnight of last Sunday, and that they will ‘radicalize their protest if the authorities do not intervene the operation of the Hiram Bingham road, currently run by the ESCIENTUR COMPANY.
It happens that, the operating contract of this route fenhed on the last September 4, when Centetur had to withdraw its 24 buses from the way, however, since there was no winner who operates the road, the company decided to stay in the place moving passengers in order not to ‘harm’ to those who require this service.
REGRETTABLE
So far there is no firm operator because, from the Municipality of Urubamba, they did not develop an adequate bidding process, installing in their replacement a ‘contingency plan’ by which they determined that a new company San Antonio de Torontoy, had to operate the route with 18 buses and for the period of four months, in which the municipality reorders its bidding process.
After this, Sernanp was approved so that these new units enter Hiram Bingham, and Perurail nodded to transfer them rail to Machu Picchu Pueblo, however, when he was about to do so, they denounced the brake cut and other elements in their transfer platforms, making this process impossible so far.
This and other actions have been taken in the worst way by the supposed new operators of the route, who declared themselves unemployed in Machu Picchu, interrupting the exit and entry of the tourist trains, the transfer of visitors to the world wonder, and others, generating a true climate of tension in the area.
FIGURE
- 300 million soles would be lost through the cancellation of more than 15 % of tourist packages bought to visit Cusco and Machu Picchu this end of the year, Citó Rosendo Baca, Tourism and Foreign Trade Manager of Cusco.
