Police were called to clear the public galleries in Portugal’s parliament today as anti-toll protestors took exception to the cursory treatment given to its 14,000 signature petition to have the tolls suspended.
Protesters shouted in parliament that the struggle will continue while the government machine stifled any sensible debate on the topic which has become a huge financial embarrassment to the ruling coalition.
The vote was taken along party lines, with some notable exceptions this time, but the day was lost for the redoubtable protestors and the expensive, loss making tolls stay for the time being.
"The Algarve pays! The struggle continues!" the chants rang out from protesters aimed at the vice president of Parliament, Teresa Caeiro who then asked that the police to clear the galleries in order to restore calm.
The outcome of the vote was rather expected, the anti-toll committee (CUVI) was defeated again. There were four members of the PS voting in favour of the Bill submitted by the Left Bloc, including Algarve MP Miguel Freitas. Two abstained. The other votes in favour came from MPs of the the Left Bloc, the PCP and the Greens all of which, according to CUVI leader João Vasconcelos, was “a positive development,” the "struggle is to continue,” because charging fees on the Via do Infante is having a detrimental effect not only on the economy of the region, but also on road safety.
A report on the economic affects of the imposition of tolls on the Algarve’s one motorway has yet to be published. Far from being a Portuguese study, in exasperation a report is being prepared by a Spanish journalist appointed by the Andalucian regional government.
In the meantime the government is happy to send additional money to the Spanish concessionaire whose income is guaranteed whatever the volume of traffic on the road.
CUVI lack a united front from the Algarve's ,ayors as only Portimao and Loule have voted, agreeing the the tols are bad for the Algarve and should be suspended.
AMAL, the association of Algarve mayors, is now led by Dr. Jorge Botelho of Tavira Camara who is from the Partido Socialista so there is hope that AMAL soon will indeed vote and unite to add serious weight to the struggle.
The Via do Infante tolls have now been in operation for 2 years and traffic is down 70%. The alternative EN 125 road has suffered from a lack of repair and improvements, two things promised at the time by the current government to sweeten the blow of a tolls system.
The parlous state of much of the EN 125 and the serious risk of accident due to an increase in traffic volume has demonstrated that it is not a viable alternative route to travel along.
While the motorway remains almost devoid of vehicles, the EN 125 is crammed, especially in the key tourist summer season, yet the government refuses to discuss the economic argument against the tolls with the seriousness the subject deserves.
