The Government has no interest in removing the miles of single white lines and traffic separators that have turned journeys on the western section of the EN125 into slow and frustrating trecks as no overtaking is allowed.
The Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure replied to some written questions from the Algarve Left Bloc MP, João Vasconcelos, and said the main objective for the creation of these white lines and the installation of the separators was to reduce the number of accidents.
The response pays no attention at all to what Vasconcelos calls "obvious technical errors" along the western EN125, such as the large cement separators, narrow traffic lanes for vehicles, roundabouts with narrow exits, and for pedestrians: the lack of pavements and the lack of street lighting.
Another question posed by João Vasconcelos had to do with the suspension of the tolls on the Algarve's A22 motorway as the works on the EN125 are not yet complete.
In the reply, the Ministry sais that this would simply mean the treasury would have to make up any shortfall in the concession holder’s income. This is an obligation that "can not be undertaken given the existing budgetary constraints."
The reply on the tolls question again highlights the idiocy of the concession contract that provides a guaranteed income to the Spanish-Dutch owners based on a traffic volume higher than exists.
As for the speed reduction measures, many of these appear to be designed to frustrate drivers and already are leading to many breaking the rules by overtaking slow-moving farm machinery and caravans instead of following them for miles at a crawl.
