• Direct witness "I like everything about Madrid except the traffic," said the VTC driver, also a preacher and before that TV presenter

Holy Week has attracted all kinds of tourists.

Among them, those who travel with the house on their backs.

And for yet another year, the

Casa de Campo Lake

has been filled with motorhomes.

The residents of the area denounce that the settlement is illegal, but nevertheless the owners of these vehicles maintain that

"you can park"

.

The old fairground had yesterday, at 2:30 p.m., with 14 motorhomes and vans among the group of cars.

Justina

, one of the drivers, has been sleeping in her motorhome for three days in front of the Lake.

She is "enjoying the holidays" and she tells this newspaper that the reason she took her to this place to spend the night is, simply, on the Internet.

"Googling parking spaces, I found the Lake and its park.

At no time did I think it was illegal

," she says in amazement.

She wants to be near the water since tomorrow she will move to Burgos.

The residents of Casa de Campo do not like camping life, since "they take up a lot of space" and

"they take away space to park with the car" ,

Luisa

said yesterday

.

However, in the cafeteria of the historic park they do not think the same.

One of her workers assures that she "doesn't care".

Employees recognize that "there is always some" and calculate that in past weeks there were "many more" than yesterday.

What the Law establishes is that camping is prohibited.

Since 1982 there is a state regulation that regulates it.

In addition, each municipality has its own regulation.

You can spend the night with a motorhome or

camper

anywhere on the public road for parking and without leaving the marks.

But do not settle down: unfold chairs, open the windows,

anything that modifies the dimensions of the vehicle.

Doing it in the same place for days is always allowed in controlled camping areas, in spaces delimited by each municipality that are sometimes free or allow you to pay a symbolic amount.

FINES OF UP TO 600 EUROS

Camping is not the same as parking.

Motorhomes can park like any other vehicle, unless there are weight or height restrictions.

Disturbing noises or behaviors that damage the environment are also prohibited.

But they can park.

Camping is only allowed if the site clearly indicates it, in a place that is enabled for it.

It involves paying attention to the signs: there are public spaces and car parks with a sign prohibiting these specific vehicles.

In a bus lane, in a site for people with reduced mobility, tunnels or dangerous places.

Parking in a prohibited place can be considered a serious offense of up to 200 euros.

But there are much higher fines, such as the one for spending the night in a Natural Park, which can be close to 600 euros.

The controversy between parking and camping comes from afar.

In 2004 the

DGT (Directorate General of Traffic)

recognized the figure of motorhome as such.

A little later, in 2008, an instruction was issued stating that parking these vehicles is not the same as camping.

Motorhomes can therefore carry out stopping and parking maneuvers under the same conditions as any other vehicle.

Yesterday the motorhomes were parked, and some people rested in chairs behind these vehicles.

However, Justina, the driver of her van, remained inside her, without changing the dimensions of her house and her transport.

Live camping, although it is prohibited in Madrid, you can in some places, such as the

Peñalara Park.

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