A proposal presented to parliament by the Left Bloc and the Portuguese Communist Party, to abolish tolls on the Algarve’s Via do Infante motorway, was voted down during the last full session before the Summer break.
Socialist Party MPs did as they were told and voted against the proposal, except those Socialist MPs representing the Algarve who were allowed to show they care by voting for the proposal.
MPs from the party that made up part of the former government coalition, the Social Democratic Party, also voted against scrapping the tolls.
The CDS-PP abstained, not than anyone would notice as this anodyne contributor to Portugal’s political life has yet to make an impact.
The Left Bloc at least has been consistent in its opposition to the Via do Infante tolls, mainly due to the secrecy surround the tolls concession contract that may not be viewed by MPs as this will break the terms of the contract
The Left Bloc says the Socialist Party is fooling nobody and the government’s stance is hypocritical.
The Left Bloc has stopped short of doing a deal on the Via do Infante, threatening to withdraw support for the Socialist Government on a key issue unless tolls are scrapped, so its accusations of political chicanery ring hollow to those in the Algarve who recall those carefree, halcyon days of free motorway travel.
