Transport users on the south bank demand urgent measures to resolve constraints

The South Bank Transport Users Commission (CUTMS) demands that the Government promote coordination between all public transport service operators and Infraestruturas de Portugal to adapt the response to people's needs.

This is one of the demands included in a letter that the commission intends to send to the Prime Minister and which it is making public, between this Tuesday and Friday, among users in actions at the Fertagus train stations in Corroios, Seixal, and Pragal, in Almada.

“ We want concrete measures that resolve or minimize the problems and that restore conditions for people to travel safely and with dignity,” explained Aurora Almeida in statements to the Lusa news agency.

In the letter, distributed this Tuesday at Corroios station, the commission states that the service provided by Fertagus has remained virtually unchanged since its inauguration in 1999, maintaining the same stations and the same conditions.

However, the structure adds, the Setúbal Peninsula and the Lisbon Metropolitan Area have grown significantly in these 25 years and when, in 2019, the intermodal pass was introduced, allowing thousands of families access to the public transport system and the Fertagus service at reasonable prices, demand increased exponentially.

“If there were already moments of great pressure on the service , especially during school terms, with the introduction of the pass , as expected, the situation worsened . In response to demand, Fertagus opted to reduce the comfort of journeys, replacing quality with quantity, with a significant reduction in the number of seats in the carriages”, explains the commission, adding that at the time it “repeatedly warned of the imperative need to acquire more trains (more human and material resources)”.

According to CUTMS, the demographic growth of the Setúbal Peninsula was boosted by the structural housing crisis, leading to more and more families settling in peripheral areas, resulting in greater pressure on the public transport network.

As the service could not keep up with demand, the reality experienced by users is that carriages are overcrowded throughout the morning and full during the afternoon rush hour, delays due to difficulties in getting on and off the carriages, crowds at the entrances, with passengers travelling on the stairs and situations of insecurity and panic.

The commission also reports that there are records of regular visits by INEM to stations to pick up people who are feeling unwell due to the excess of passengers, as well as situations of threats, insults and aggression between users desperate to get on or off trains and users travelling “backwards” two stations to be able to get on the train they actually need to travel on.

In addition to the problem with trains, the commission also highlights the successive and daily cancellations of Transtejo boats and the lack of adaptation of bus timetables and routes.

“The Government is well aware of all these weaknesses, but they have done nothing to resolve these problems from the root!”, the commission states, demanding urgent measures, including that CP begin operating on the Setúbal — Roma/Areeiro section of the Line , with Fertagus operating, for example, the Pinhal Novo — Roma/Areeiro section.

The commission also demands urgent measures from the competent authorities to resolve the dispute that is blocking the tender for the acquisition of new trains and the reopening of the Centro Sul BUS lane, which should be extended to the deck of the 25 de Abril Bridge.

The rail link between Lisbon and the South Bank was inaugurated on July 29, 1999 , with the aim of removing cars from the 25 de Abril Bridge.

The crossing connects the Roma-Areeiro stations, in Lisbon, to Setúbal, and has 10 stations on the south bank and four in the capital.