The price of transport passes in the Algarve will drop from 1st May to a maximum ceiling of 40 euros. The decision was unanimously approved this Thursday, April 18, at the AMAL – Algarve Intermunicipal Community meeting, in Loulé.
In practice, starting next month, any pass (whether by bus or train) will cost between 14 and 40 euros.
The agreement reached encompasses, for now, CP, EVA, Frota Azul and the urban transport of Faro (Next).
However, according to Jorge Botelho, president of AMAL, to Sul Informação, urban transport from other cities, such as Lagos, Albufeira or Portimão will be gradually integrated «as soon as the contracts are approved in the municipal assemblies. There are Chambers already approving the contracts, so I believe that by June 1st we will have everything integrated».
Urban carriers "are included in the agreement, but it is necessary to make contracts for delegation of powers to AMAL", he added.
According to the mayor, this measure “substantially reduces the current price of passes. There were people who, on some routes, paid more than 200 euros and will now pay 40. It's a reduction of around 80%».
Reducing the value of passes to the maximum ceiling of 40 euros in the Algarve is «even better than in other parts of the country, because we have combined the value available from the Government, of 924 thousand euros, with a contribution of 2,5, XNUMX% of the Chambers. Thus, we reach a greater number of people».
In addition to this measure, which is already in force, studies are being carried out “for school passes. We're going to try to get as much discount as possible, in the part that isn't reimbursed yet. From September, school passes will also be included», guaranteed the AMAL president.
With the drop in prices on passes, there may be an increase in demand and this is one of the objectives of this measure, which can lead to an improvement in the transport network in the Algarve: «we hope to stimulate demand, creating a challenge for concessionaires to improve the transport network'.
Furthermore, «what we decided today will be included in the specifications for the international public tender which will be launched later this month to find the new intercity bus company. At the end of the year, we will have the new concession, which will already include this reduction. We hope that all this will create positive pressure on current concessionaires to reinforce connections».
For now, the reduction of passes is applied to each transport service, but Jorge Botelho says that “the intermodal pass” is being studied. The idea “is that, starting next year, we will achieve an integrated ticketing and an intermodal pass. I think that will happen”, he concluded.
The chance to reduce passes to the maximum value of 40 euros in the Algarve had been presented, at the previous AMAL meeting, by the social democrat Rogério Bacalhau. Most mayors agreed and meetings were held with the transport operators, who ended up giving the green light to the measure.
Previously, it had been decided a 50% reduction in the price of passes. However, the later proposal of the President of the Chamber of Faro turned out to be the most voted scenario today.
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