There is no doubt that “the single pass is an achievement of the Madeirans,” but the issue has caused a bitter infight when it comes to taking credit for its success.
Throughout the day, there have been several exchanges of accusations between the CDS and the PAN, each claiming they came up with the idea.
PAN took the lead early this afternoon, affirming that “thanks to the performance of the PAN, it was possible to implement the single pass for the entire Region, an essential measure to make public transport more accessible and reduce dependence on the private car.”
Without delay, and with “some surprise, the CDS responded and stressed, also in a statement, that “it can only have been due to ignorance or distraction that these statements were made, We cannot accept that the PAN party takes all the credit when it is not theirs to take. On the 31st of August 2023, the date before a PAN deputy was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira (Regional Elections, 24th of September 2023), the Regional Secretary for the Economy, under the supervision of centrist Rui Barreto, made a statement in which she informed that due to the difficulties of the automotive sector, in the delivery of new buses, the forecast for the start of operation of the new concessionaires was the 1st of July 2024. A date that saw the introduction of the new single bus pass.”
Retaliating, PAN Madeira, unequivocally, issued a statement “repudiating the statements of the CDS reiterating that this measure was only possible thanks to the agreement signed by PAN in 2023. “The CDS, which was part of the Regional Government, did nothing to achieve this improvement in people’s lives and now tries to rewrite history by trying to arm wrestle their way into taking credit for something that isn’t theirs.”
PAN further accuses the CDS of trying to deceive the Madeirans by trying to attribute to itself the merits of the single pass, when, in fact, it was its inaction that perpetuated the problems we face today,” categorically stated Válter Ramos, deputy spokesman for PAN Madeira.
In addition to the implementation of the single pass, the PAN points out that “they have had several meetings with the Secretary of Transport to look at the feasibility of implementing free bus passes for those suffering from disabilities and a dial-a-ride system for those who lack public transport in rural areas.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
