The largest association of businessmen in Albufeira will ask the government to increase the number of police during the summer season and adapt their number to each season, President Lusa said on Tuesday.
In a conversation with Lusa, President of the Association for the Promotion of Albufeira (APAL), Desiderio Silva, said that safety in tourism-related activities is the main concern of its members.
“Of course yes, we will ask for an increase in staff during the bathing season,” he said, defending a police presence “adaptable throughout the year”, depending on the number of tourists in the Algarve.
According to the person in charge, there is a significant presence of tourists throughout the year, and the security forces must adapt on a monthly basis, avoiding a system that only enhances security in summer.
The former mayor of Albufeira indicated that these claims will be submitted during the municipal security council meeting scheduled for the first half of June, which will be attended by Interior Minister Isabel Oneto.
This issue was already discussed last week at a meeting of APAL representatives with the mayor of Albufeira, José Carlos Rolo, where “various issues regarding the dynamics of the city and its tourist offer” were discussed.
Speeding up the process that will lead to the installation of a CCTV system, which is the responsibility of the municipality, is another security-related aspect that businessmen would like to see progress rapidly.
On the other hand, according to also the former president of the Algarve tourism region, there are still not enough lifeguards on the beaches of the district at present, and this joint effort is “accepted”.
In addition to these topics, the creation of a tourist tax in the municipality, which is being studied by the Chamber, as well as the possibility of creating a commission to oversee the distribution of the funds arising from this, was also discussed at the same meeting.
Desiderio Silva also cited problems caused by a lack of housing for workers and a workforce for the tourism sector, resulting in “some restaurants” “most likely” only having to serve one of the main courses this summer.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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