The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport said today that the implementation of the Integrated Transport Plan (PIT) in the Azores will improve the mobility of people and goods, reduce access costs and improve accessibility.
 
"The decline in context costs is essential to boost the competitiveness of regional companies and to ensure the well-being of families by the increasing their purchasing power," stated Vítor Fraga at the presentation of the Integrated Transport Plan in the city of Horta.

The Regional Secretary for Transport reminded that the Government of the Azores has made "significant investments throughout the archipelago with the clear purpose of creating the necessary conditions for the development of the sector." Moreover, the Government has also invested in the modernisation of transports, adapting them to the needs and dynamics of the market.

Nowadays, "we are faced with new challenges," said Vítor Fraga. In this context, the implementation of the PIT is essential "to define the axes of an effective coordination between all means of transport, ensuring the interconnection of timetables, logistics, operating parameters and information management; always with the aim of rendering a better service to citizens and companies."

"The main goal of the Integrated Transport Plan is to increase the mobility of people and good by reducing costs, making transport easier and with all the convenience within each island as well as in inter-island connections and outside the Region," stressed the government official.

Moreover, Vítor Fraga stated that the Regional Government aims to create "a sector that seeks on a permanent basis to achieve an operational excellence, that is, the operational efficiency of infrastructures and the available means should be focused on the goal of meeting the needs of citizens."

PIT is divided into three distinct axes, which comprise integrated measures to be implemented by the end of the legislative period. These measures will be developed in the following areas: infrastructures and equipment, regulatory framework and support tools.

As for the investment in infrastructures and equipment, the PIT includes the remodelling of Corvo Air Terminal Building, the expansion of Velas commercial pier, the expansion of Casa port and the construction of new pier and passenger terminal in São Roque Pico. Under this plan, the Government plans to acquire two new vessels with for 650 passengers and 150 vehicles and build a cargo terminal for the civil area of Lajes Airport Building, when possible; the latter is subject to the amendment of the Law on Military Service.
 
In addition, this transport plan comprises the development of a platform designed to collect information from various sources and data bases "with the aim of creating the Single Ticket Office; the latter will allow passengers to choose the type of transport efficiently, which will streamline the planning and purchasing of tickets for intermodal travel (air/maritime/land)," revealed the Regional Secretary.

With regard to the regulatory framework, the PIT provides for the revision of Public Service Obligations (OSP) for inter-island air transport and the links between the Region, Mainland Portugal and Madeira. However, the revision of public service obligations is dependent on the National Government's decision.

In this regard, the Government expects to define the public service obligations for inter-island maritime passenger transport and draft a legislative proposal for the creation of Regional Traffic, a measure intended to improve general cargo maritime transport between islands several Azorean islands.

As for the support tools, the plan provides for the implementation of the Single Ticket Office, through which passengers will be able to plan intermodal trips and purchase tickets. This project will also improve mobility by promoting a more efficient choice of the types of transport.

In this regard, Vítor Fraga announced that "tickets for sea travels to the 'Triangle' islands (Pico, Faial and S. Jorge) will be available at SATA's ticket sales offices.

The PIT also allows the "coordination of air and maritime transport timetables in the Azores in order to enhance the interconnection between both types of transport and improve the mobility of passengers and cargo, either in inter-island transport or in the links with the outside," said Secretary Regional.

Furthermore, this plan provides for the implementation of the Integrated Baggage and Air Cargo Service (SBCI), which will allow any person to claim its baggage at the final destination, when travelling on intermodal passenger transport.
 
This measure is expected to reduce waiting times , improve the comfort of passengers and furthermore optimise air cargo routes in order to shorten the delivery time at destination.

While presenting the plan, Vítor Fraga stressed that the PIT "is not an end, but a means" to improve the mobility levels of the Azorean population as well as of those visiting the archipelago. This measure is mainly intended to "make travels within the archipelago easier, with all the convenience, and at less costs."

The Integrated Transport Plan will be now presented to the public across the archipelago, starting in Horta tonight.