CIM studies road, rail or mixed solution between Viana do Castelo and Porto

The president of the Intermunicipal Community (CIM) of Alto Minho said today that three solutions are being studied – road, rail and mixed – to guarantee transport for users who travel daily between Viana do Castelo and Porto.

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 CIM of Alto Minho, to which Lusa had access.

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.

Contacted by Lusa, the president of the CIM of Alto Minho, Manoel Batista, said that in the last 15 days three work meetings had taken place, one of them with the president of CP to study the possibility of a railway connection between Viana do Castelo and Porto.

“We had a working meeting with the president of CP to try to design a solution, which could, in full or in part, involve the railway between Viana do Castelo and Porto. Together, we are trying to find a good solution from a practical and financial point of view”, explained Manoel Batista.

The socialist, who is also president of the Melgaço Chamber, added that the CIM of Alto Minho has already held two meetings, one with the CIM of Cávado and AMP, to “design a solution, if the railway is not the most appropriate, which will undergo a new route between Viana do Castelo and Porto”.

“There is a third solution that could be the combination of railway and highway. We are concerned about the needs of users who make this journey every day”, he pointed out.

Manoel Batista warned that he could not “promise a solution for yesterday”.

“These processes take time. I will not commit to a specific date. I want to guarantee that we, as CIM of Alto Minho, are working hard to find a solution suited to people’s needs”, he stressed.

Despite refusing to specify a deadline, Manoel Batista estimated that during the first half of the year it will be possible to find a solution that meets the needs of users.

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

The mayors of Porto and Viana do Castelo sent a solution for the inter-regional bus to AMP and CIM Alto Minho, pledging to support it financially.

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.