PCP ‘couldn’t help but’ support toll abolition but points out ‘hypocrisy’ PS

PCP general secretary Paulo Raimundo said this Thursday that his party “as expected” supported the PS project to abolish tolls in the former SCUT, but pointed out the “limits of hypocrisy” of the socialists.

“Our project [de lei] was rejected” because “he not only canceled SCUT” but also “attacked where it was necessary to attack, which is the privilege of public-private partnerships (PPP), those who take billions of euros of profit from the pockets of all of us in the state budget “, said the communist leader.

Speaking to journalists in Beja, as part of the visit he is making this afternoon to the agricultural fair in Ovibeje, the PKP Secretary General emphasized that it was thanks to the PNP that “Chega, who voted with the PS for the PS project, did not vote for our project” , which “failed.”

But after the PS bill to abolish tolls in the former SCUT was approved as a whole in Parliament, with votes in favor of the Socialists, Chega, BE, PCP, Livre and PAN, “there is now a path that is open to reduce tolls” according to Paulo Raimundo.

“Not in the way we need”, that is, “to end with tolls, but also with these billions of euros that are transferred to the PPP”, but we remained “in the middle of the bridge”.

And at the same time, he stressed, it is necessary to discount “even the hypocrisy of the situation,” since “for years and years in a row, up until six months ago,” the PKP presented “a set of proposals to end tolls,” but “the PS always voted against “

“And that’s it, now he thought it was time, well, he had our support, it couldn’t be otherwise. It was a shame, we could have solved this problem years ago,” he argued.

In fact, on the initiative of the PKP, “this problem never arose, but that’s it, we’re already halfway there, I would say,” he insisted.

This Thursday, Parliament generally approved the PS bill to abolish tolls on the former SCUT, voting in favor of the Socialists, Chega, BE, PCP, Livre and PAN.

When voting on this project, the SDP and SDS-PP voted against, and the IL abstained.

After intense debate and numerous exchanges of accusations, the PS initiative to abolish tolls on sections and sections of highways in the hinterland (formerly SCUT) or where there are no alternative routes that would allow quality and safe use is now followed by projects for a special process.

The PS proposal – the only one approved this afternoon – aims to abolish tolls on the A4 – Transmontana and Tunnel do Maran, A13 and A13-1 – Pinhal Inland, A22 – Algarve, A23 – Beira Inland, A24 – Inland Norte, A25 – Beiras Litoral and Alta and A28 – Minho on the sections between Esposende and Antas and between Neiva and Darke.

The measure, which the Socialists say will have a budgetary impact of 157 million euros, will come into force on January 1, 2025, according to the PS bill.