PCP/Porto criticized this Friday that the cessation of toll collection approved by the Assembly of the Republic does not apply to “any former [Sem Custos para o Utilizador] from the Porto area (A41, A42, A29 and gateways A4 and A28).
“Despite the approval of the liquidation project presented by the PS, which has systematically failed PCP initiatives for many years, the decision is incomplete, since it does not apply to any former SCUT in the Porto area and does not cancel the concessions,” In his statement, he regretted Directorate of the Regional Organization of Porto (DORP) PCP.
PKP/Porto promises to continue the fight to end tolls in the region’s former SCUTs and argues that the PS “could have put an end to this injustice, but did nothing when it had an absolute majority.”
“He now proposes to abolish tolls in all former SCUTs, with the exception of those located in the Porto area,” while PSD, CDS, CH, IL and PAN “continue in practice to evade or delay addressing the problem by hiding in the need for study, revision or step-by-step plans.”
PCP notes that in Thursday’s vote, Parliament “rejected PCP’s bill to abolish a number of tolls in the former SCUT, including in the Porto region, and subsequently cancel concessions to private parties.”
For the communists, “the existence of toll roads on the old SCUT highways dealt a rude blow to the economic structure of the region and worsened the already difficult living conditions of all those who, having no alternative, travel on these structured roads.”
“After all these years, we can conclude that the only winners in this process are the concessionaires, to whom the state transfers more than a billion euros per year. The state, population and regional economy have lost and will continue to lose,” they say.
The PCP believes that the introduction of tolls on these roads, “imposed by the PSD/CDS and PS governments”, transferred the “collective and supportive financial efforts of the country to the people and companies” based in the region, and thus “required to pay for the use of the infrastructure , without being able to resort to viable alternatives.”
“It is the right of the population to mobility and the competitiveness of hundreds of micro, small and medium-sized companies that are being called into question for the exclusive benefit of the concessionaires,” they accuse.
According to the party, “these paths, because they are fundamental to regional development, because they have no real alternative and are driven by the imperative of social justice, should not be used.”
On Thursday, Parliament generally approved the PS bill to abolish tolls on the former SCUT, with votes 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.
The PS proposal aims to eliminate tolls on the motorways A4 – Transmontana and Tunnel do Maran, A13 and A13-1 – Inland Pinhal, A22 – Algarve, A23 – Inland Beira, A24 – Inland Norte, A25 – Beiras Litoral and Alta and A28 – – Minho between Esposende and Antas and between Neiva and Darke.
The measure, which the Socialists say has a budgetary impact of 157 million euros, will come into force on January 1, 2025, according to the PS bill.
The BE and PCP bills, which followed the same pattern of toll road abolition but covered more roads and contained different details, were defeated by equal votes: PSD, Chega, IL and CDS-PP voted against, and PS, BE, PCP, Livre and PAN for.