The Court of Audoitors which oversees council contracts has refused to approve the deal between Portimão council and the beleaguered subsiduary, Portimão Urbis, which leaves the council executive in rather a delicate position.
The council stated today that it was to appeal the Court's decision and will run the service in the interim.
"The possible implications of this first decision appear to be serious for the population of the municipality of Portimão. The municipality of Portimão already has decided it will appeal the decision of the Court of Auditors" announced the council.
The urban Vai e Vem transport system serves thousands of people each year and provides a way of getting around for ‘a significant prroortion’ of the city’s population, according the the council's blurb issued today.
The refusal to approve the contract was based on two issues: firstly, the Court considers that Portimão Urbis already should have been wound up and secondly, the council is already bust so why add more debt to the problem?
The council is still hopeful that the Prime Minister in his role of Oberon, King of the faries, will intercede and with a wave of his fiscal wand will pay off €130 million of the council’s debts which total €150 million at the last count.
This opiate dream seems to have given the council the idea that it can continue to see its voter-friendly bus service run at a loss for evermore.
Portimão Urbis is of course owned by the council and mayor Isilda Gomes needs to cut loss making services or make them pay.
The council ended by saying, "The Vai e Vem public transport system in Portimão will continue to operate normally until the appeal is considered by the Court and the decision thus obtained becomes final."
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