The parliamentary group of the Left Bloc has submitted yet another draft resolution recommending the government abolishes tolls on the Algarve’s Via do Infante (A22).
"What has to be abolished as soon as possible the tolls on the Via do Infante, because their continuation continues a very negative and tragic error for the Algarve," state the Left Bloc's MPs.
This pointless debate has been going on for seven years and the government has no intention at all of scrapping tolls, despite this being a pre-election promise designed to dupe Algarve voters into favouring the Socialist Party candidates in the last general election.
"It is the users, locals and companies of the region that have seen their difficulties increase. The inequalities, instead of diminishing, have worsened. The Algarve, where tourism plays a decisive role, has lost economic and social competitiveness vis-à-vis neighboring Andalusia. Mobility in the region has declined," say the Bloquistas
"The EN125, considered an 'urban street,' once again has become the most dangerous road in the country, with extensive queues of vehicles and where road accidents occur frequently, with many fatalities and serious injuries. The so-called 'road of death' once again has imposed itself on the Algarve," states the parliamentary group of the Left Bloc, adding nothing new to the debate but listing the same old gripes that successfully have been ignored by the Socialist Administration.
The Left Bloc petition goes over the fatality numbers and accident rate, both up on last year, and managed to have a go at the EN125 eastern section that was patched up before the tourist season but that offers no lasting conditions.
"The solution is not in the suspension of toll collection during the EN125 requalification works, nor in the very small reduction of toll rates. These are irrelevant and not very serious proposals on the part of the opposition parties, because while they were in the government they did not do them, spending time blocking the left wing’s objections,” emphasised the Left Bloc which notably has failed to use its political leverage to effect any change in policy, preferring to complain rather than act.
A University professor has been doing some calculations that show that an increase of four cents per litre of fuel would compensate, if tolls on all the now tolled SCUT roads were scrapped.
Paulo de Morais, of the Civic Front, said that public-private partnerships, that led to the tolls, are ruinous and illegal.
The Civic Front filed a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General and an investigation is underway," said Paulo de Morais.
Nothing has budged the government's position on tolls as it knows the cost of scrapping them. So covert is the PPP agreement for the Algarve's A22 motorway, even MPs are not allowed to see the documentation as, by doing so, the State can be sued for breaching a special 'poison pill' confidentiality clause.
