Transport lost 100 million passengers in the last four years – Jornal de Negócios – Portugal

The Environment Minister, João Pedro Matos Fernandes said Tuesday in Parliament that the last four years the reduction in supply in public transport “was dramatic,” as do the search, in which they lost “100 million passengers. “

at the hearing on the draft state budget for 2016, the official said that” it is precisely because the inhabitants of the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto deserve a shuttle service with an offer adjusted to demand that was unthinkable to continue the process that came from behind. “

for Matos Fernandes, the offer would be if the procurement of sub-concessions have gone forward” would undermine the mobility needs. ” The previous government, said, “slimmed down to the bone supply and put it to the competition.”

The Ministry of Environment has planned for this year a budget of EUR 155 million for the promotion of public transport 13.5 million for the last debt payment and seven million for the extension of the “social pass” to the rest of the country.

João Pedro Matos Fernandes emphasized in his opening speech that for transport Lisbon and Porto, in the previous legislature, “were lost tens of millions of passengers” and “there was a huge loss of assets of the companies themselves.”

Asked by social democrat Mrs Berta Cabral on the increase 22.4% of funds for companies from Lisbon and Porto to over EUR 22.3 million in 2015 and 2016, the minister assured that nothing has to do with the operation of businesses. “The money that is there is required, as in previous years, to pay the financial liability of these companies,” he said.

Minister reaffirms illegalities

Matos Fernandes reaffirmed the expectation of the Government that “there is no compensation to be paid to companies that competed” to sub-concessions. “I have immense respect for companies that competed but competed in a competition with illegalities,” he said.

The minister reaffirmed the existence of illegalities in sub processes.

The minister said the analysis that was made to sub processes were found external audits “that reveal the destruction of around 30% of the assets of these companies.”

in addition to political reasons, Matos Fernandes also justified the reversal of the processes of subconcessions with illegalities detected, referring to two rules that were not met.

on the one hand, was made for the possibility of being able to acquire second-hand cars and vehicles that gasoline, against the climate change plan. On the other, because being classified as internal operators the law only allows sublet one-third of the operation and not all as planned, he said.

Matos Fernandes ensured that despite the current effort government to find savings with these processes, “the financial risk was brutal and even the savings could be guaranteed”.

the minister, who stressed that the offer was reduced by 23%, still gave as an example that these contracts provided that any supply growth well above 5% contract “would have to be negotiated and paid without any value basis to make this negotiation.”

He explained that the increase of 5% in Porto is the operation time as the Burning of the Ribbons or Saint John.