“The territory is absolutely skewed toward Lisbon, and we need to rebalance it for the Porto Metropolitan Area, then create a balance for the rest of the territory with each having its own specificity,” stated the minister at the Portuguese Road and Rail Congress, which is taking place in Lisbon until May 15.
To advance this movement, it is crucial to “maximize infrastructure investments,” acknowledged Pinto Luz, who admitted these investments are not cheap, “but they are investments in the future of all of us.”
“Cutting corners leads to higher costs if we don’t have an integrated vision,” reiterated the minister, emphasizing that the government elected on May 18 must consider this challenge.
In his address at the opening of the congress, the minister also discussed the economic and financial sustainability of the infrastructures being built, citing the ongoing debate over tolls.
“A large part of these infrastructures that support the neglected territorial fabric do not have enough traffic to ensure economic-financial sustainability. It is an unaddressed issue; there is no balance and equitable risk distribution like we have in metropolitan areas,” highlighted Pinto Luz.
