By PAULO SILVESTRE [email protected]
Tolls on A22 road (Via do Infante) may come into effect as early as October 15.
For this to happen, the Portuguese Council of Ministers must approve which road sections will have tolls and what discounts and exemptions will be granted.
And this must then be endorsed by Portuguese President Cavaco Silva and published in the official government newspaper Diário da República.
The Comissão de Utentes da A22 (A22 users’ commission) responded to the news by stressing that the fight will continue and that they have already scheduled several protest actions.
A spokesman told Lusa news agency: “Our neighbours from Spain will participate in our next protest tomorrow (Saturday). We will also meet with around 20 to 30 Spanish Mayors and give a joint press conference about the new actions against introduction of tolls in the Algarve.”
Tomorrow’s protest, called A Luta Continua Sempre (The Fight will Always Continue), is being held on the EN125 and A22 roads.
There will be four main starting points: Altura in Castro Marim council near the roundabout of the restaurant O Infante on the EN125 at 2pm, Parque das Feiras in Portimão from 2.30pm, Tavira at Moinhos roundabout near the access to Via do Infante at 3pm and Vale Paraíso area in Albufeira council at 3pm.
“We will always fight against tolls on the Via do Infante. Our struggle will continue until the Government listens to us and cancels the introduction of tolls in the Algarve,” said the Comissão de Utentes da A22 spokesman.
Meanwhile a spokesman from the group Portagens na A22 Não (No Tolls on the A22) said: “Tomorrow we will demonstrate our determination and commitment to the interests of our region. “We will demonstrate that we do not believe in irreversible situations, but we believe in quality of life, in good traffic conditions, safety, and sustainability development in the region. We will always fight for the Algarve free of tolls.”
Portimão Mayor Manuel da Luz said: “It seems that tolls are inevitable. This decision was made without regard for the interests of the region. Tolls on the A22 will bring more problems for the economy of the Algarve and more accidents on EN125 road.”
Do you have a view on this story? Please email Editor Inês Lopes at [email protected]
