Car travel preferred due to Algarve's poor public transport

Two out of three Algarve residents use a car or other private transport for necessary trips, although most of these journeys are local ones.

According to the Challenges and Opportunities for the Disabled in the Algarve report, 68% of the Algarve population make mandatory trips (between home and work, or between home and school) in their own vehicles, 22% walk and only 10% use public transport, mostly bus (60%) or school transport (30%).

The study was commissioned by the Algarve’s Regional and Development Commission (CCDR-A) and was based on data collected in the 2011 Census.

The findings showed that 63% of these trips are within the parish of residence, 21% venture out of the local the parish, and only 11% leave the municipality.

According to the president of the CCDR-Algarve, David Santos, the lack of use of public transport has to do with the short distances travelled and in some cases, the lack of available supply, which leads to a high dependence on the car to make mandatory trips.

The introduction of tolls on the Via do Infante (A22), in December 2011, is seen as a threat as it has increased congestion on the remaining road network, the accident rate has risen and the EN125 has deteriorated and has not adequately been maintained.

According to the study, if the Algarve is ever to have a joined up transport policy, it will be necessary to use the railway as a key mode of public transport, and there is a need for ‘tariff integration’ which requires using new technology for ticket purchases.

Over the next 15 years, the study suggests that a shuttle bus services is created between cities and their railway stations, and later on that an interface is developed that integrates road and rail transport.

It is also suggested as a first step, that the use of vehicles running on LPG is promoted up to 2030, with hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles after 2030.

The study, presented at the CCDR-Algarve offices in Faro, was developed by the Terraforma, Studies and Projects Company.

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