Another accident on the Algarve’s EN125 left seven people injured in a head-on collision between Mexilhoeira Grande and Figueira, Portimão.
The crash happened during Monday’s commuter time at 5.45pm and the road was closed for two hours as medical teams attended to the victims, four of whom had been seriously injured.
Just one person escaped injury and the remaining seven were taken to Barlavento hospital in Portimão.
Only one was unharmed, while the other seven were taken to Portimão Hospital.
The EN125 is undergoing long overdue roadworks and upgrade work but still the Via do Infante remains a tolled motorway despite the serious congestion on the alternative 125.
The number of accidents on Portugal’s roads during the first two months of this year has risen but the number of deaths has gone down.
New figures from the National Road Safety Authority cover January and February 2016 and show 73 people died in accidents, six fewer than over the same months in 2015.
The new Socialist government, despite pre-election promises, has done nothing to ease the plight of drivers and the Via do Infante remains the route taken only by those that can afford the hight toll rates charged.
Councils, business and pressure groups all have failed to make any impact on Lisbon's edict that 'user pays' and the Via do Infante tolls have had an impact on local business costs and tourism.
The dark secret held by successive governments is the cost of exiting the toll concession deal.
The taxpayer already is subsidising the Via do Infante by tens of millions of euros a year as the deal struck by the Passos Coelho regime included a compensation clause should road traffic decrease after tolls were introduced. Traffic dropped off by over 50% and the taxpayer stepped in to bail out the concession holder.
The taxpayer pays and then pays again for a concession contract negotiated either by crooks or imbeciles.
Meanwhile the EN125 is overloaded with no end in sight to the roadworks and no temporary relief allowed by making the motorway free until the the 'alternative' road is fit for purpose.
Easter traffic again will face chaos as tens of thousands of tourist vehicles will sit on the EN125 and wonder what on earth is going on in a region dedicated to tourism yet unable to achieve a basic service level for transport.
Comments
What is required in fact is a full investigation by the police into how PPP's and other dubious agreements such as the oil concessions were signed with the terms that they have.
I'm of the opinion that if that is done properly (and there's no cover-up) the gov could in all probability find just cause to cancel the contracts and maybe give some of the signatories (or negotiators on behalf of gov) a room in Evora ...
But that's just an opinion ...