Refusing to give, keenly aware of his responsibilities to those who elected him as Left Bloc MP and keenly aware of what a disaster the Algarve’s motorway tolls have been for the region, João Vasconcelos is back with a new resolution to eliminate the tolls and correct the seemingly endless single white lines that have ensured the western Algarve’s traffic progresses as slowly as possible.
The MP has delivered to parliament, through the Left Bloc parliamentary group, another draft resolution that proposes the elimination of tolls on Via do Infante and the alteration to the road markings in many sections between Olhão and Vila do Bispo.
The Left Bloc admits that this is the fifth time in less than two years that it has tried to get some justice for the Algarve region, to no avail as the Socialist government under António Costa wants the tolls to continue, despite promising their removal before he was elected.
All the previous proposals have been voted out by the Socialist Party in rare agreement with the former coalition government parties, the PSD and the CDS/PP.
The Left Bloc says that if the next resolution is voted out, it will present a new project to abolish the Via do Infante tolls during the discussions over the 2018 State Budget.
The Left Bloc argues that road accidents continue to increase in the Algarve region, with many fatalities and many seriously injured.
From January 1 to September 7, there were 7,694 road accidents in the Algarve (334 more than in 2016 and 1,006 more than in 2015), with 20 deaths and 135 serious injuries.
“Once again, the region will end the year with more than 10,000 road accidents, just like last year with its 10,241 accidents - a tragedy that can not be tolerated and can not continue,” reads the Left Bloc statement.
The new resolution also proposes that the government urgently corrects the single white lines and rows of posts that stop drivers overtaking on sections of road that previously were designated as overtaking opportunities.
The resolution lays out the same arguments as used before to eliminate tolls in the Algarve, namely "the promises of the prime minister, not yet fulfilled, the ruinous and obscure PPP Via do Infante contract which penalises the State and taxpayers, and continues to fatten the concession holders’ pockets."
Comments
The result is we have an expensive, tolled road that is cracking up and soon will need extensive resurfacing, all paid for by you and me.
The chances of a proper repair to the 'welcome to Portugal' eastern section, which is crumbling away, are slim.
It took nearly a decade even to fix the western EN125, promised as 'urgent' to placate the Councils when the tolls were put in place.
The Via do Infante - a masterclass in mis-management
But the local elections take place on October 1st. We should therefore support Vasconcelos and Bloco de Esquerda at the ballot box.