The PS-Madeira has reiterated that the Regional Government assess the risk of overloading the Region’s public equipment and infrastructures.
According to a party statement, the socialist proposal, which will be debated this week in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, is justified “in part by the large flow of visitors that the Region has been receiving and aims to ensure that the infrastructures are prepared for this overload, to prevent possible accidents.”
“As political decision-makers, our objective, our responsibility, and our obligation is to ask for evidence and guarantees that everything is being done so that collective public equipment and infrastructures are in good working order, in good condition, and that they guarantee the safety of their users,” explains deputy SĂlvia Silva, proponent of the draft resolution.
According to the parliamentarian, at stake are all equipment and infrastructures that, in some way, may be subject to an excessive load. He pointed out as examples the bridges of the expressway (which have to support the excess of vehicles), the basic sanitation network (which may not have been calculated for the current load that is registered in Madeira), or the support equipment on pedestrian routes, namely balconies, metal stairs and walkways, which may eventually be subject to an overload due to the number of people visiting the Region.
“This issue is not limited to tourist pressure, but it is impossible not to question whether the number of visitors who are currently in Madeira does not jeopardise the integrity of public equipment and infrastructures and the safety of their users, mainly because the Government has refused to define maximum loads and limits of use,” says SĂlvia Silva.
Furthermore, the socialist deputy said that the draft resolution proposes that the Government survey all infrastructures that may eventually be subject to uncalculated or unforeseen overload of use, that the critical points of these same equipment be identified and that, according to the results, procedures are corrected, adjusted and increased the level of inspections, inspection and monitoring, “because prevention is better than later regretting accidents that could have been avoided.”
In conclusion, SĂlvia Silva insists on the urgency of this measure, taking into account that the Government has made a point of congratulating itself on the record number of visitor entries, “but does not have procedures to define the load that this entails on public equipment and infrastructure safety.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
