More connections, more capacity regarding the supply of seats and new fares with price reduction for both large families and the elderly are the main changes in the current scheme of Public Service Obligations for the maritime passenger transport in the Central Group, whose call for tender was launched by the Regional Secretary for the Economy, Vasco Cordeiro, at a press conference this morning.
The new Public Service Obligation, as the Regional Secretary for the Economy stated, “combines the Government’s strategy with the confidence that the Azoreans have in the maritime passenger transport, as well as with the improvement goals that should guide any change to the scheme in force.”
According to Vasco Cordeiro, “the necessary conditions for the growth of the maritime passenger transport in the Central Group have been created in order to provide a response to the demand as well as to the expectations of the population living on the islands of Faial, Pico, S. Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira.” Therefore, the proposed scheme represents now “another step in the implementation of a strategic option which is appropriate and coherent with the importance of the maritime passenger transport in an insular region like ours.”
With regard to the route Horta/Madalena/Horta, there will be at least 4 daily round-trip connections from Monday to Saturday and 3 daily round-trip connections on Sundays and holidays, from October 1 to May 31. Moreover, 6 daily round-trip connections will take place from June to September as well as 8 daily round-trip connections will take place from July to August, which represents another two daily connections in this rout during the months of July and August.
1 daily round-trip connection from October 1 to May 31 and 2 daily round-trip connections from June 1 to September 30 will take place in the route Horta/S. Roque/Velas/S. Roque/Horta. In this case, there is also a significant increase in the number of connections, mainly with the introduction of a daily connection throughout the year as well as the reinforcement of the operation during summer months. In addition, the period in which these two daily trips are available will be extended.
The route Horta/S. Roque/Velas/Calheta/Angra do Heroísmo/Santa Cruz da Graciosa/Angra do Heroísmo/Calheta/Velas/S. Roque/Horta will include at least 4 weekly connections in June, July and September, and 5 weekly connections in August; therefore extending the service to the first two weeks in July and to last two weeks in September and increasing the number of weekly connections.