Not a nice morning for the return to work and school, and the roads are showing this in the usual hotspots.
The ship ‘Lobo Marinho’ is making its last trip to Porto Santo today, before its annual maintenance stop. Unlike usual, the journeys between the two islands of the archipelago will be made during the morning and early afternoon. Departure for Porto Santo is at the normal time of 08:00, but the return trip is scheduled for 13:00.
After that, the ferry will only resume inter-island connections in five weeks, a period the shipowner estimates is necessary for the maintenance shutdown. During the docking period, Porto Santo Line will guarantee air transport for residents of the ‘golden island’ between the islands, at the same price as sea voyages. For this purpose, passengers must be registered on the Regional Government’s SIMplifica platform. Up to 50 air seats will be available per day per route, for a total of 100 seats daily, except on Tuesdays. Porto Santo Line emphasizes that it has no legal obligation to provide this alternative.
The company also reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the regular transport of goods between Madeira and Porto Santo, guaranteeing the continuity of operations and support for local commerce. A container ship call is scheduled for Tuesdays, in accordance with contractual obligations with the Regional Government, except in exceptional circumstances. In addition, the shipping company will provide a second, non-mandatory call on Fridays, dedicated to the transport of perishable goods, fresh or dry, also subject to exceptions.
To minimize any logistical difficulties arising from the ship’s immobilization, Porto Santo Line will provide dry and refrigerated containers at the port of Porto Santo, with free storage for merchants, similar to previous years.