The anti-tolls demonstration in Boliqueime on Saturday was not without moments of tension between the police and demonstrators.
Supporters of CUVI (Users Commission of the Via do Infante) tried to block the EN125 completely but were dissuaded after duty GNR called up Intervention Squad colleagues lurking nearby.
João Vasconcelos, Algarvian Left Bloc MP and spiritual father of CUVI, was at the protest at the new Boliqueime roundabout that has been under construction for months and involved the destruction of the iconic well that put the ‘fonte’ into Fonte de Boliqueime.
"Four years ago we started fighting and it is now difficult to believe in our politicians," said Michael Ferrada, one of the demonstrators.
"It is important that the Socialist Party defines, once and for all, what its position is," said João Vasconcelos.
There is to be a full debate on tolls in parliament on May 6 when the Left block bill will be tabled for discussion. The Left Bloc wants the abolition of tolls on the Via do Infante as the scheme seriously has affected the Algarve’s economic flow while costing the taxpayer additional funds to support the Spanish owned concession holder.
The Left Bloc says of the tolls that there needs to be 'an end to the tragedy that has gripped the region for more than four years. '
Since taking office the Prime Minster António Costa has failed to drop the motorway tolls scheme in the Algarve despite promises to do so.
There now is a state of dither with ministers ‘looking at the problem’ and offering vague promises that sometime in the summer the tolls may be reduced, depending on a variety of factors, etc – the same old flannel and a position that has enraged those who voted the Socialists in only to find the leaders have not carried out their pre-election promise.
Two problems that MPs will have in next week's debate is the absence of a report on how much the Algarve's tolls have cost the regional economy and how much it would cost to end the concession contract.
Without these two figures, the debate will continue with no basis for sensible resolution.
Comments
We should find that both major parties are involved, and I also suspect that they were under orders from Brussels to inflict the toll system on Portugal. But neither of them would ever admit that, nor indeed would Brussels.