The ADN – National Democratic Alternative party has criticised the fact that, as of tomorrow, the 5th of August, Horários do Funchal (HF) starts a new route between Funchal and Pico do Areeiro at the price of €3 per person/trip, with two departures from Funchal (6:30 am and 1:30 pm) and return (12:15 pm and 7:00 pm).
In this context, the ADN asks the Regional Government if there are houses in Pico do Areeiro or surroundings that justify this new “public” service route, when “there are other needy routes, namely in the high and rural areas of the island, where local populations lack transport to Funchal.”
The ADN party considers this measure “extremely burdensome for tourism companies, as we are facing unfair competition by the Regional Government, using public means for this purpose, paid for by all of us Madeirans and Porto Santons, which will logically have as passengers the tourists who visit us, seriously harming the companies that create jobs and pay their taxes, in what is the largest economic activity of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Tourism.”
The ADN warns of “the serious precedent created”, as “surely other tourist routes will be opened to HFs, such as Rabaçal or Caldeirão Verde (for example), completely annihilating these companies that survive from this important commercial activity and (indirectly) promoting hiking without professional mountain guides.”
The ADN argues that this measure will not solve the existing problem in the flow of tourism and respective cars to Pico do Areeiro, but will further aggravate this pressure, because, in addition to this service, there will also be another HF bus making trips every 15 minutes between the Caminho Florestal and Pico do Areeiro for €1.20, where tourists would supposedly leave their rented vehicles and go by bus, something that will certainly not happen, because for that, it would be necessary to close traffic to light vehicles, without discrimination to rent-a-cars.
To conclude, the ADN Party questions the mentors of this idea “if they have previously taken care to consult the regional companies that depend on this important sector that is Tourism and assess the consequences for all involved, including the coffers of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
