The deputies of the two most represented parties in the Assembly of the Republic should show "some coherence between what they say and what they do", with regard to the introduction of tolls on the A22, defended this Monday the Commission of Users of Via do infante . The anti-toll movement has released a statement in which it emphasizes what seem to be contradictions in the positions and proposals of the PSD/CDS and PS deputies.
For the anti-toll movement, deputies from the three most represented parties in parliament are not asking the right questions and are defending measures that are even illegal, including the extension of payment exemptions for residents.
«It is necessary not to overlook the fact that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain an extension of the exemptions, taking into account the warning that the Portuguese state received from the European Commission, precisely for violation of the “principle of discrimination based on nationality” », recalled the members of CUVI. In other words, the extension of this measure could cause the Portuguese State to incur sanctions.
On the other hand, the movement is surprised by the defense of the suspension of tolls during the month of August that the parliamentarians of the ruling coalition and socialists “ventilate”, according to the document.
“There is, however, a question here: how to maintain the much-vaunted “user-pays principle”? The intellectual contortionism to which these deputies are subject is regrettable. If there was room for the application of that principle, it could not be suspended, precisely because of what it means – the existence of qualified alternatives. It would be as if we could wear it during the winter and then suddenly stop using it during the summer – as if it were a sweater», they argued.
CUVI, since the intention to charge fees in the ex-SCUT was announced, demands that these are not applied in Via do Infante. And one of the arguments is precisely that the use of the user-pays principle is "excessive", given "the characteristics of the road layout, on the one hand, and on the other hand, precisely given the absence of an effective alternative to Via do Infante" . In other words, the EN 125 is not an alternative to the Via do Infante “all year round and not just in summer”.
Taking this into account, CUVI considered that the decisions of the deputies elected by those three parties throughout the entire process and in the voting on this matter that took place in Parliament, «were highly disappointing, we would dare to say that they rubbed off on the treachery, when opting, some for abstention and others even voting against».
The commission of users took the opportunity to criticize what it considers another "side issue", the "modality of payment for foreign motorists", which, they assured, "can drive on Via do Infante without being charged any fee", since the existing database “does not allow the crossing of information with other countries”.
According to CUVI, non-collection of citizens coming from abroad is frequent. "It is for this, and other reasons, that an effective accounting is required, not of the gross number of tickets, but of the number of tickets charged for each month's traffic data", the document reads.
Comments