Did Albuquerque lie about the maritime connection between Madeira and Porto Santo?

Yesterday, the CDU accused the president of the Regional Government of not implementing the strategic guidelines defined in 2015.

In the context of a political initiative promoted yesterday in the Port of Funchal, the CDU came out publicly to “denounce yet another of the lies of the Government of Miguel Albuquerque”, this time related to maritime passenger mobility between the island of Madeira and the island of Porto Santo.

On the occasion, Ricardo Lume stated that in Miguel Albuquerque’s first government, in 2015, the XII Regional Government’s Programme included, as a strategic guideline for Porto Santo, “strengthening external accessibility, maintaining the maritime connection throughout the year and without interruptions”. The measure – highlighted the CDU leader – “did not go beyond the paper”.

Is this accusation true?

DIÁRIO consulted the Programme of the XII Regional Government of Madeira (2015-2019). Now on page 11 of the aforementioned document, in the ‘Transport and Tourism’ section, inserted in chapter II, dedicated precisely to Porto Santo, the objective is expressed of “reinforcing external accessibility while maintaining the maritime connection throughout the year and without interruptions ”.

Furthermore, the XII Regional Government Programme highlights that the executive “understood to highlight Porto Santo in its organisation, calling it under the supervision of the Presidency and at the same time creating, in its programme, a set of sustained and integrated measures for the development of the island”.

These strategic guidelines, which include the aforementioned measure, established – “in the face of a scenario of difficulties aggravated by dual insularity” – the following objectives:

  • “To eliminate this first handicap of the people of Porto Santo”;
  • “Promotion of measures to encourage mobility between islands and with the continental shelf in order to create sufficient critical mass to boost the local economy, whether through the increase in domestic tourism, that which originates from the Portuguese mainland, as well as the increase in existing tourist operations with several European cities, extending them in time and in the number of tourists disembarking at Porto Santo Airport”;
  • “Creation of incentives for economic innovation, with special emphasis on the agri-food sector and the provision of peripheral services to tourism; promotion of measures to support employment and increase training and technical specialization for the unemployed”;
  • “Strengthening and safeguarding the defense of the authenticity of the island of Porto Santo, promoting sustained policies to defend the natural, cultural and environmental heritage”;
  • Promotion of the Porto Santo destination and brand”.

In its intervention, the CDU also pointed out that “ten years later, the Regional Government has still not taken action to contain the effects of dual insularity on the island of Porto Santo, especially in the month of January, despite many promises that Porto Santo would have a ferry connection all year round”.

In fact, and as reported by DIÁRIO, this year the ship Lobo Marinho (which provides regular maritime transport of passengers and goods between islands) began its usual maintenance stop on January 8th.

It should be noted that during the docking period, Porto Santo Line has taken on the responsibility of chartering a containerized cargo ship that will make a weekly trip between Madeira and Porto Santo, ensuring the full supply of the Golden Island. In addition, the shipowner ensures the shipment of a limited amount of fresh products by air at the end of each week.

Although it is not obliged to do so, as in recent years, the company also took the initiative to provide transport for 50 passengers per day (residents of Porto Santo), by air, paying the same fare, which amounts to 10.70 euros, as if they were travelling on Lobo Marinho, with Porto Santo Line bearing the price difference, in relation to the cost of air travel.