Portugal’s federation of taxi drivers (FPT) has said that government subsidies intended to mitigate the rise in fuel prices are “insufficient”, given the increases expected next week.
In a statement, the body led by Carlos Silva dubs government support “insufficient” and calls for structural measures for the sector.
“The Portuguese Taxi Federation considers the measures announced by the government to mitigate escalating fuel prices clearly insufficient. This is especially true given the further increases expected next week”, reads the statement.
According to FPT, taxi companies “operate under fixed tariffs, misaligned with the brutal rise in operating costs (fuel, maintenance, and labour), a situation that is jeopardising the sector’s economic sustainability and the continuity of the public taxi service in many parts of the country”.
Consequently, the federation has asked the government to “urgently reinforce the support now announced” and to supplement this support by creating a “genuine professional fuel regime” for taxis.
FPT wants support mechanisms to be adjusted “in a structural rather than merely temporary manner”, to guarantee “a service of general interest for public mobility”.
The escalating conflict in the Middle East, a key region for global fossil fuel supplies, is driving a sharp rise in oil and gas prices, with a direct impact on households and consumers’ purchasing power.
On Wednesday, during a fortnightly debate in parliament, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced a €25 subsidy for the solidarity gas bottle and “an extraordinary scheme for professional diesel, for passenger and freight transport companies, which will consist of an additional discount of a 10-cent-per-litre refund up to 15,000 litres per vehicle, also for the next three months”.
ANTRAM, the country’s haulage union, has also come out to say the government’s subsidies “are not enough”. André Matias de Almeida speaking for the sector suggests if further help is not given, companies could start finding business unsustainable.
Source: LUSA/ SIC Notícias
