The International Public Tender – Public Service Obligations Concession Contract on the Porto Santo/Funchal/Porto Santo route was launched today in the Diário da República by the Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing.
It should be noted that in October 2021, when it was already legally possible to launch the contest, the Regional Secretary for Tourism and Culture (SRTC ), Eduardo Jesus, sent a letter to the Government of the Republic, warning of the possibility of its launch, also sending proposals for improvements to the Caderno de Charges, which included suggestions from the municipality of Porto Santo and local tourism entrepreneurs.
However, this did not happen within the stipulated period. The last concession ended on the 24th of April of this year, and the contract was extended for six months, in order to guarantee uninterrupted connections between Funchal and Porto Santo.
Currently, the connections between the two islands are carried out by the Spanish company Binter Canarias, using a 70 seater, ATR 72.
The deadline for the submission of proposals from interested airlines in the future concession, which will have a period of three years, will be until 11:59 pm on the 62nd day from the date of the published announcement.
According to Eduardo Jesus, “the implementation of the launch of the public tender that will decide who will operate the Porto Santo – Funchal – Porto Santo route over the next three years should be also overseen by the Regional Government.”
However, Eduardo Jesus regrets not only the delay in launching the tender, but also the fact that the claims contained in the proposed amendments to the specifications presented by RAM, “which took into account the specific needs of Porto Santo, were not met, despite input from both the Porto Santo officials and the City Hall last June.” This, considers Eduardo Jesus, is a matter of paramount importance for the Region, and, especially for residents of the island of Porto Santo, who need a cost effective transport alternative.
The tender is worth 5,577,900.00 euros, the same as the previous one, which may have a detrimental affect on airlines looking to branch out within the region, especially in the current economic climate.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
