Two Socials Democratic Party MEPs from the Algarve have pointed out one serious omission of the ruling Socialist Party; it pledged to reduce tolls on the Algarve’s motorway, but has allowed the opposite to happen.
Far from the expected ‘immediate reduction’ of between 30% and 50% promised by the Socialists, the toll rate has actually gone up for one section of the Algarve’s A22, to the exasperation of locals and anger of anti-tolls campaigners.
The cost of travel between Tavira and Monte Gordo has gone up 5 cents for Class 4 vehicles and there is no hint or whisper that PM António Costa’s pre-election pledge will be put into action.
PSD members Cristóvão Norte and José Carlos Barros have posed a set of questions to the government about the Via do Infante tolls situation, pointing out that "the Algarve has received news of an increase in tolls with bewilderment."
The MEPs pointed out that the Left Bloc and Communist parties want a ban on Algarve tolls, and the Socialist Party "pledged to carry out a reduction of around 50 %, not less than 30%, neither of which has happened - yet."
Not only has it not happened, but the opposite has happened," say the Social Democrats, referring to the rise in tolls costs near Tavria.
The pair points out that "after the successful renegotiation of the PPP in August 2015, there has been no reason not to pass on these savings to users and thereby optimise the route and improve mobility in the Algarve."
The MEPs want to know a date when the reduction will come into effect and also they call for a change in the bizarre toll payment scheme for those coming from Spain.
Long tail-backs have been the norm at the Guadiana Bridge as holiday traffic forms queues to use the EasyToll pre-payment system which is anything but easy. Many drivers see the queues ahead and carry on to use the motorway without paying, thus creating a bureaucratic paperchase the costs of which falls on Portuguese toll payers.
How the State-funded road operator Infraestruturas de Portugal was allowed to raise toll fees on the A22, when the government has promised to reduce toll fees, remains to be explained but the rise has led many to conclude that the government has no intention at all of scrapping or reducing toll fees in the Algarve.
