The President of the Government of the Azores assured today that the political decision regarding the construction of a Passenger Terminal at the São Roque do Pico Port has been taken. However, given its complexity, we will only move forward with this work after ensuring the best possible technical solution.

"In respect to the construction of the new passenger terminal at the São Roque Porto, still this year - and fulfilling our commitment - laboratory testing will be carried out in order to prove the adequacy of the project-base that has been developed," said Vasco Cordeiro. The government official spoke at the opening of the new Passenger Terminal in Madalena.

At the beginning of the statutory visit to Pico Island, the President of the Government stressed that this is an important and demanding work from a technical perspective, which "is not compatible with light decision or an irresponsible evaluation."

"This work is too important and represents such a volume of investment that we will only move forward if we ensure the best possible technical solution," said Vasco Cordeiro. In this context, the government official revealed that this project aims to improve safety conditions as well as the transport conditions of passengers and goods, through the construction of a new passenger terminal.

In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro stressed that the "João Quaresma" Passenger Terminal in Madalena, an investment of nine million Euros, falls under the Government's development strategy for the regional transport sector. On the island of Pico, this strategy included a number of projects already implemented as well as other interventions at project phase.

"In this particular case, I am referring to the construction of port infrastructures and the works to improve the shelter conditions of this, which represent an overall investment over 12 million Euros," pointed out the President of the Government. As he revealed, the investment over 20 million Euros in the Madalena Port over the year evidence the importance the Government attaches to maritime links and the potential of the sea in the transport sector.

According to the President of the Government, maritime passenger transport has increasingly become a fundamental operation to the regional economy as well as to the mobility of the Azorean population, as evidenced by the average of one million passengers transported between islands every year, especially in Faial-Pico channel.

Accordingly, the Regional Government has carried out with various interventions to redevelop and improve ports by adapting them to new realities, such as the ferryboats operations and the transport of vehicles.

 "This happened with the construction of roll-on/roll-off ramps in Lajes das Flores, Horta, São Roque do Pico, Velas, Praia da Graciosa, Praia da Vitória, Ponta Delgada and Vila do Porto," reminded Vasco Cordeiro. The government official reminded that, so far, the Government has invested more than 10 million Euros in this type of infrastructures. The planned interventions also include the construction of similar ramps at Calheta port, São Jorge Island, and in Angra do Heroísmo.

According to Vasco Cordeiro, the works we have done, as well as the many challenges we have faced, fall within one the most important goals of this legislative term: boost social cohesion within each island and among all islands of the archipelago, without forgetting the importance of the links to the outside of the archipelago.

The President of the Government also added that the Integrated Transport Plan will continue to be implemented in the Azores in 2015, through policies and measures aimed at achieving the ultimate goal: boost the mobility of people and goods by reducing access costs, and improve the interconnection between the various transport means available in the Azores.

Designed for comfort, efficiency and safety, the new Passenger Terminal in Madalena has different rooms for boarding and disembarking, two check-in counters as well as a tourism office, a bar with an outdoor area, three commercial spaces, and a room reserved for the transfer of patients that allows the direct access of stretchers to the quay.

On the occasion, Vasco Cordeiro made a special reference to the "patron" of this infrastructure, João Quaresma. He played "an important role" in the links between Faial and Pico. The passenger terminal was named after this well-known figure with the aim of paying tribute to "all those who have given their best of their hard work and effort over the year to ensure the links between these islands, sometimes in very difficult conditions."