… while commuters switch to reliable alternatives
The unmitigated fiasco of Transtejo Soflusa’s ‘electric ferry fleet’ is back in the news as mayor of Seixal, Paulo Silva, reveals that only one of the six ferryboats (delivered as a result of a €52 million investment in 2023) is working.
Paulo Silva was speaking to the Lusa news agency following a meeting with the management of Transtejo Soflusa, in view of the successive disruptions to the river service between Seixal and Lisbon, with cancellations and failure to comply with timetables.
The mayor said that the company has told him that it will be resolving the problems “next week”, thanks to technicians from the shipyard that built the boats.
“For the service between Seixal and Lisbon to run smoothly, four boats are needed, three in circulation and one in reserve”, he said.
Right now, only one electric boat is operating; two are “running on diesel”.
The mayor added that the successive constraints on the river connection between his municipality and Lisbon have prompted the population to seek alternative transport options, “as river transport no longer meets their expectations.
“Even at rush hour, the occupancy rate of the boats is around 50%,” he explains.
Paulo Silva says he will continue to monitor the situation and request a meeting with the newly-appointed government to demand a solution to what is now “a chronic problem”, particularly affecting the population of Seixal.
Transtejo Soflusa (TTSL) is responsible for the river connection between Seixal, Montijo, Cacilhas, Barreiro and Trafaria/Porto Brandão, in the district of Setúbal, and Lisbon.
When it first announced the ambitious purchase of 10 electric ferries, no one could have imagined the problems that were heading Lisbon’s way. It actually transpired that the deal involved buying ‘one ferry complete with batteries, and nine others without’. After that, there were issues with the batteries; the charging stations – and finally Paulo Silva revealed that the boats were not even constructed for a tidal river…
Source material: LUSA
