Users of the Viana do Castelo-Porto bus demand “fair fare” solutions

Users of the Viana do Castelo-Porto bus warned today of the lack of solutions for the 200 euros per month for travel and for “fare equality” with what is practiced in the country, despite the “availability” expressed by several entities.

The demand is made in an open letter addressed to the mayors of Porto and Viana do Castelo, the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) and the Intermunicipal Community (CIM) of Alto Minho, to which Lusa had access.

“In the same way that it was possible, in a few days, to find a solution for the direct road connection from Braga to Porto, via the A3, we request that, after more than 15 days of expressing their support for the creation of an inter-regional route Porto –Viana do Castelo via the A28, put into practice what everyone has already agreed on and give people back the possibility of using public transport under conditions of equality” with the rest of the country, say users.

Passengers regret that “in these three months of 2024” we will see “the total abandonment of the promotion of commuting by public transport between Viana do Castelo and Porto, with more and more users making use of private cars, abandoning their studies and jobs or being at the mercy of the precarious prices and careers of private operators, given the cost of 170 euros more [relativamente a 2023]”, for a total of 200 euros per month, users point out.

Passengers remember that in the “meeting promoted by the mayor of Porto with the president of the Chamber of Viana do Castelo”, on March 11, “all entities expressed their willingness to find a solution that allows mobility in public transport between Viana of Castelo and Porto under conditions of tariff equality with those practiced in most of the country”.

“Despite the urgency of the situation, there are no known developments to date”, they lament.

Users point out that the problem was “created by the Chamber of Viana do Castelo, when, in January, it decided to reduce by half the support granted to users of the Viana–Esposende–Porto road route, without the existence of any alternative and without having developed any efforts to ensure a low-cost public transport service, similar to what exists in most of the country and in particular in the North region”.

“Conversely, the Chamber of Esposende, recognizing the lack of alternatives and the need to effectively promote the use of public transport, maintained its support unchanged, successfully registering the continuous increase in users”.

On March 11, the mayors of Porto and Viana do Castelo sent a solution for the interregional bus to AMP and CIM Alto Minho, pledging to support it financially.

The mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, indicated that the support will not only be formal but also financial: “We can find a way to launch an inter-regional service, like we have with Braga, and from there we can find a way to, between us, divide the whatever the tariff deficit.”

Asked when it would be possible to reach an agreement on a solution, Rui Moreira said he could not demand that the CIM of Alto Minho and the AMP “resolve the matter tomorrow”, but if they wanted to “resolve it quickly”, as happened with the line to Braga .

“We only need one thing: not to complicate things. If they don’t get complicated, it will be resolved quickly,” she assured.

In January, users of the express bus on the A28 motorway between Viana do Castelo and Porto, who paid 88 euros per month, now pay 171.60 euros (22 days x 2 trips x 3.90 euros), due to a reduction in the support given by the Viana do Castelo Chamber.

On January 30, they asked the president of the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) for help in implementing a “single pass”, claimed since 2019.