The Porto Metropolitan Area intends to have a new metropolitan bus network in operation and the organization’s president, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues, says that “if I had to set a deadline” for the start of the operation, I would say “that it was the end of the first half of the year.” of 2023″.
The mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia was also “very optimistic” in view of the lifting of the suspensive effect, by the Administrative and Fiscal Court (TAF) of Porto, of a challenge to the public tender for road passenger transport, carried out by operators. who lost it.
The public tender of 394 million euros will cover a new standardized network of 439 lines, including the Andante ticket, in which the bus fleet must present “a common image throughout the territory”.
Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues considers that with “the time that has passed, the maturity we have had in the process, the availability of companies that have won, the pride of companies that have lost and that from today to tomorrow can win again – and therefore also have an image to preserve” – will allow for a smooth transition.”
The president of the AMP had already mentioned that there will not be “an automatic replacement from one day to the next” between the current and future network, there being “a gradual process” that “has to be consensual”.
Regarding the decision of the court of 21 July, regarding the challenge of the União de Transporte dos Carvalhos, Espírito Santo and MGC Transportes, the mayor considered that it “demonstrated the reasonableness of the Metropolitan Area’s arguments” and that “many of the things that were being said by the operators were on the verge of truth”.
The Porto TAF has yet to comment on an identical action taken by other operators (Valpi, Pacense and Gondomarense) that lost the tender, so that the process can definitely move forward and be referred to the Court of Auditors.
Comments