The Rede Expressos stated on Thursday that the entry of other companies, such as FlixBus, into the Sete Rios Bus Terminal in central Lisbon “is not feasible and would compromise the safety of passengers, workers, and property.”
“Rede Expressos, the concession holder of Sete Rios Bus Terminal, considers that access for new operators to this space under current conditions is not feasible and jeopardizes the safety of passengers, workers, and property. Therefore, it continues to refuse access to new services, particularly those proposed by FlixBus and BlaBlaCar,” reads a statement sent to the newsrooms.
According to Rede Expressos manager Martinho Costa, the Sete Rios terminal is at the limit of its operational and physical capacity, lacking the conditions to accommodate more schedules and operators without compromising safety and service quality.
He explained that the terminal does not have additional space for safe circulation or parking.
FlixBus proposed the introduction of 96 new schedules and BlaBlaCar another 12.
The company mentioned that during times of peak demand, the terminal has experienced “severe congestion,” with vehicles parked irregularly.
Additionally, it cited a study from the Instituto Superior Técnico, conducted by Carlos Oliveira Cruz, that concludes the terminal has reached its operational limits, advising against any increase in load.
Furthermore, the terminal already fails to fully comply with Infraestruturas de Portugal standards, particularly regarding connections to the North-South axis.
“The Sete Rios terminal was conceived as a temporary solution in 2004, and is now highly unsuited to demand, despite investments made in this public asset over decades by the company,” it added.
The company also stated that by law, when the terminal is full, an alternative must be indicated, which is the Gare do Oriente, where “only about 30% of its lines” are currently utilized by FlixBus.
Rede Expressos has appealed the decision of AMT – Autoridade da Mobilidade e dos Transportes, which mandated the opening of the terminal to new operators.
“The current blockage is by no means commercial in nature, but exclusively technical and safety-related,” it asserted.
However, it clarified that other operators in the Portuguese market have not invested in their own infrastructure and support teams, “limiting themselves to operating concentrated in a few tourist flows.”
These operators, according to Rede Expressos, have significant resources for media actions and campaigns “aiming to portray a victimization image, disconnected from the operational reality on the ground.”
The company further noted that FlixBus’s strategy in countries such as Germany, France, and Italy, has been to attempt to dominate the entire market, “with the consequent control of prices and reduction of offer diversity.”
FlixBus estimated losses of 12.5 million euros in 2024 due to being blocked from accessing the Sete Rios terminal, despite a regulator decision recognizing the multinational’s access yet to be implemented.
FlixBus, which entered Portugal in 2017, recorded a turnover of 90.6 million euros in 2024, with the estimated losses from what it calls an “illegal blockade” on access to Sete Rios terminal, “the largest and most important” in the country, representing almost 15%.
“This represents a huge economic damage for FlixBus, but it also affects passengers who are forced to travel in worse conditions than they could,” stated Pablo Pastega, accusing Rede Expressos (majority owned by Barraqueiro group) of “monopoly.”
In 2023, FlixBus filed a formal complaint with AMT for the refusal of access to the Sete Rios terminal, operated by Rede Nacional de Expressos, and in May, the regulator determined equitable and non-discriminatory access to the infrastructure.
