Today, the Azores’ Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility, and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, announced the publication of an ordinance that sets new pricing in the Diário da República. This ordinance, which comes into effect on April 3, means that residents will “pay much less” for travel.
However, Cabral emphasized that the regional coalition government of PSD/CDS-PP/PPM does not agree with the maximum cap of 600 euros for reimbursement. The government plans to monitor airline ticket offerings to determine if there might be room to alter the procedure.
“With numbers, it will be much more convincing to return to the Government of the Republic and demonstrate that this cap is insufficient and, truthfully, there shouldn’t be a cap, as there never was before, and it didn’t lead to excesses,” Cabral stated.
She asserted that the maximum cap was “absolutely unnecessary” and that the Autonomous Region of the Azores could continue as before, allowing residents to purchase any available fare.
Cabral argued that residents must travel to the mainland “when necessary,” often deciding only the day before that they need to make the journey the next day.
This reality, she stated, is undeniable, and when travel is required on short notice, residents must accept the available fares. This aspect is at the heart of their disagreement concerning the altered cap, Cabral told Lusa in Lagoa, São Miguel island, at the closing session of the “Azores Sustainability Charter” event, organized by the Azorean government.
The regional secretary noted that the government would monitor the situation and return to the Government of the Republic to argue for changes when warranted.
Berta Cabral highlighted a “very significant reduction” in the maximum tariffs paid by Azorean residents traveling to the mainland, dropping from 134 to 119 euros, and for students, decreasing from 99 to 89 euros.
In both situations, the reimbursable cost of the ticket is capped at 600 euros. If the trip exceeds this value, residents must cover the additional cost beyond the 119 euros.
Cabral also noted that the mobility social subsidy is still temporarily paid through the CTT (postal service) until a new electronic platform is established by the Government of the Republic to automate eligibility and reimbursement procedures.
From April 3, the maximum tariffs for residents and students of the Azores and Madeira traveling to the mainland and between the two archipelagos under the mobility social subsidy will decrease.
The ordinance outlining how to determine the amount of the mobility social subsidy for transport services between the mainland and the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira, and between these regions, was published today in the Diário da República.
The new values coincide with the effective date of the decree-law defining the new model for allocating the mobility social subsidy, published on March 24, which comes into effect ten days post-publication.
For connections between the Azores and Madeira archipelagos, the maximum fare for residents decreases from 119 to 79 euros, and for students, from 89 to 59 euros, both maintaining a maximum eligible fare limit of 600 euros.
The mobility social subsidy was established in 2015 and regulated by different decree laws for the Azores and Madeira. The government has now created a uniform and singular legal framework aimed at simplification, efficiency, and equal treatment between the autonomous regions, with the new decree published on March 24.
