AMP mayors threaten to take action against Unir operators over non-compliance

Several mayors of the Metropolitan Area of ​​Porto (AMP), especially those covered by Lot 5 of the Unir bus network, threatened this Friday with contractual and even legal proceedings against operators who, after four months, continue to not publish timetables.

“We, together with the company, are taking every step to make this happen, but everything has its time, and we will actually have to reach a point very soon where the necessary contractual and legal measures will be applied to immediately resolve this situation. “, said this Friday Jorge Sequeira, vice president of AMP.

For the mayor of São João da Madeira, a municipality included in lot 5 of the Unir network (together with Santa Maria da Feira, Oliveira de Azemeis, Arroca and Vale de Cambra), the problem is the non-publication of timetables after four months after the launch of the new network.

When asked what time AMP would take effect, the mayor said he could not specify “what exact day and time.”

“But actually we are really reaching the limit and it has to be very quick and very brief. I know we have contacts, cameras with AMP, even on weekends and holidays there are contacts and steps, but what What? we can say that this moment is close,” he told reporters at the end of Friday’s meeting of the Porto Metropolitan Council, which brings together the region’s 17 municipalities.

Jorge Sequeira states that the mayors have shown tolerance because they understand that the Unir network “represents a large-scale and extensive operation, since it involves a large-scale mobilization of human and material resources and that there is a normal period of adaptation.” , but “there are questions that don’t have answers.”

“It’s strange that public transport works, but people don’t know the schedule and frequency of this very transport,” he believes, admitting that “citizens who complain have an absolute right to complain.”

The new mayor of Santa Maria da Feira, Amadeu Albergaria, also told reporters that “the time is beginning to come when the concession agreement must be executed.”

At a meeting of mayors, he said that four months after the operation began, “all reasonable options for asking the population for patience have been exhausted” and that at some point “a position will have to be taken.”

“This is a concession agreement, there are obligations that need to be met and there are enforcement actions that need to be taken if the company does not comply with them,” he said, guaranteeing that if nothing is resolved, AMP will have to “take other types of action ” from a legal point of view.”

In the same release, the mayor of Vale de Cambra, José Pinheiro, said that Unir “created great expectations in public opinion” but led to “complaints, dissatisfaction and a lack of knowledge.”

The mayor of Póvoa de Varzim, Aires Pereira, also stressed the need to “require operators to comply with specifications and fulfill their obligations, for which they are rewarded.”

Vila do Conde chamber vice-president Sara Lobão warned that AMP could be paying for “kilometers that are not covered” by operators due to the lack of a monitoring system for routes taken.

Gondomar Mayor Marco Martins said his municipality is currently missing “two important things”: “timetables at all intersections” and “no more fleet of old buses”, with three new lines yet to be launched.

Nex Continental Holdings operates in the northeast area (Santo Tirso/Valongo/Paredes/Gondomar), northwest (Povua de Varzim/Vila do Conde), Porto Mobilidade, southeast ( Santa Maria da Feira/São João) Madeira/Arroca/Oliveira de Azemeis/Vale de Cambra) to Xerbus, in the southwest (Vila Nova de Gaia and Espinho) to Transportes -Beira Rio and in the northern center (Maya/Matosinhos/Trofa) to Vianorbus.