Lisbon police have arrested six taxi drivers operating at Lisbon airport who were found to be working under the influence of drugs, and a further two for driving while over the alcohol limit. Two further drivers have been arrested for fiddling their passengers.
According to a statement from the Metropolitan Command of the PSP in Lisbon, the two crooked taxi drivers were arrested for overcharging and their taxis have been impounded. The driversalready have been to court.
The boss of consumer champion DECO has accused the government of trying to turn taxpayers into tax collectors.
Jorge Morgado, the association’s secretary general, said the new lottery based on customers registering purchases in the hope of winning a car, is a ploy by the Ministry of Finance to turn taxpayer into a tax collectors - the reason to pay taxes is to have more social services and participating in a premium car lottery is not the way forward.
The average spend by motorcaranners is €50 a day over 42 days spent enjoying the Algarve, according to the chairman of the Algarve’s development body, David Santos.
"This is more than €6 million coming to the local economy in a year like 2013 when the Algarve registered an estimated 120,000 visiting motorcaravans. The number may increase in 2014, as the growth rate is estimated at around 15%," said Santos who added that their spending, "helps boost the local economy, especially outside high season as this type of tourism is mainly in the winter months and spring.”
An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 30 kilometres south-west of Albufeira, was registered on Saturday morning at 10.46 by the Seismic Network of the Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere.
The Algarve's Alcoutim council has voted on making a financial contribution to the Food Bank Against Hunger in the Algarve to esnure the poor of the area get supplies.
The decision to send a cheque for €5,000 resulted from a meeting arranged by the council between representatives of the local food bank and local institutions that help the poor. These bodies have been encouraged to apply for food aid for onward distribution.
The payment of car parking charges by mobile phone can now be made in Lagos, increasing to six the number of cities in Portugal that offer this payment system.
Developed by Portuguese company Maksu Services, the EOS Parking is a system that offers the user the possibility to pay for parking charges via smartphone without using coins or pre-paying.
In what appears to be a developing trend, Venice is to hold a referendum on secession from Italy.
The vote will be start on Sunday and continue until Friday.
The question pertains not just to Venice but also the surround Veneto region in which some 3.8 million people are eligible to vote. The area includes historic cities such as Treviso, Vicenza and Verona.
In February we reported that expats in some countries might not in future be able to access local health care.
This appears to apply to expats under the state retirement age, and not in employment.
