The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport said today in Horta the new model of accessibility to the Region "defends the interests of the Azores and the Azorean people."

Speaking at the plenary session of the Legislative Assembly, Vítor Fraga stressed that "this model emphasises what we considered to be essential in the transport and accessibility policy for the Region, which the protection of residents and students."

The Regional Secretary informed the Assembly that the Regional Government "has completed" its part on the accessibility model, adding that "the procedural part that the National Government is developing is still ongoing. The Portuguese Government has already notified Brussels about its intentions, as it was made public, and is "preparing the pieces of legislation to regulate the allocation of the social mobility allowance."

Vítor Fraga restated that residents on the islands without gateway will be free to choose the one that is more appropriate to them in terms of fares and schedules, thus they will have the opportunity to choose the one that is best suited to their needs.

The Regional Secretary also conveyed his belief that "none of the routes where the liberalisation of gateways is expected will be deserted," adding that the routes where there might be some difficulties "were dully safeguarded in the proposal."

"If such happens, it is clearly defined that Public Service Obligations (PSO) will be applied in this situation," said the government official.

Moreover, Vítor Fraga revealed that the Government of the Azores is working on the revision process of PSO for inter-island transport. In this regard, it is important to adjust "the provision of inter-island transport services with the accessibility to the outside. The government official noted that "the need to make adjustments in order to promote an efficient coordination between the accessibility to the outside and the provision of inter-island transport services has delayed the conclusion of the process."

The Regional Secretary stated that the Government's goals for the revision of Public Service Obligations are embodied in the Programme of the Government and the Integrated Transport Plan. Improving the interconnection between all islands of the archipelago and achieving "a competitive price that is adjusted to the quality of the service will result in the reduction of transport fares, as we all expect."