Despite abstentions from the Algarve’s spineless and democratically unrepresentative Social Democratic Party, a motion to end tolls on the A22 was approved at the Intermunicipal Assembly of the Algarve.*
The motion "For the suspension of tolls on the Via do Infante" was presented by the Left Bloc and was approved on April 26th, despite seven feeble abstentions from the PSD.
According to the Left Bloc, "the intermunicipal government of the Algarve has decided to ask the Prime Minister and Portugal’s government to take the necessary steps so that, even before the summer, the tolls are suspended in the Via do Infante (A22), with the aim of improving mobility, re-launching the economic and social development of the Algarve and, in particular, ending the tragedy experienced in the region by reducing the high accident rate on the EN125.”
According to the Left Bloc, this resolution "reinforces once again the urgency of suspending tolls on the Via do Infante, especially when the decision to maintain tolls on a road financed two thirds from EU funds, continues to go against the huge consensus in the region.”
"Political leaders, local authorities, business people and users have expressed in many and varied ways, their indignation at the maintenance of tolls in this way," says the Left Bloc.
The motion also recalls António Costa's recognition in 2015 of the "EN125 being a cemetery and not an alternative to Via do Infante,” and his statement that he intended to eliminate tolls if he became the next leader of the Government."
This document, now approved, shows that data from the National Road Safety Authority indicated the EN125 is “the most dangerous and deadly road in the country, taking into account the large number of 'black spots' with a high level of fatalities and serious injuries.”
"In fact, in 2016 alone, more than 10,000 accidents occurred in the Algarve, resulting in 30 deaths and 160 serious injuries," said the political party.
The Left Bloc MPs say "that the introduction of tolls in this way was a setback for the whole of the Algarve region, with great losses in the mobility of people and goods, contributing to the worsening of the economic crisis in the region, with a marked loss of competitiveness in Andalusia, and the consequent bankruptcy and closure of companies, mainly those dedicated to tourism.”
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* Intermunicipal Assembly of the Algarve has 56 members, elected by each of the municipal assemblies of the 16 municipalities (2 members in municipalities up to 10,000 voters, 4 members in municipalities between 10,001 and 50,000 voters and 6 members in municipalities between 50,001 and 100,000 voters).
Comments
The money goes to the concession holder, plus it receives an additional annual top-up from the general taxpayer as the voulme of traffic dropped when tolls were imposed (not surprisingly).
The government later renegotiated the PPP agreement and relived the concession holder of the road maintenance obligation which now is paid for by the State, ie, taxpayers.
We have been well and truly shafted over this one.
1.They'll be set at so high a level that people will use the side roads, causing more accidents,
2. The tourist trade will suffer as tour operators take people will elsewhere.
Whatever happens, the money raised doesn't seem to get spent on maintaining them - any ideas where the money does go?.
The parliament has simply be "notified" but as far as we could recall there was no parlementary debate or voting about PPP. You have to know that "all benificiary matters" are kept very far from the parliament. It's "a big boy's matter" in Coelho and specially its deputy PM playground.