VCI, Porto
The A41 motorway, or Porto Regional Circular of Porto (CREP), should be tendered free for heavy, namely goods, to try to divert and reduce traffic from the internal waistway (VCI) in Porto.
In 2026, the Crepe should be free for heavy with the purpose of vCI.
The announcement was made this Thursday, by the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luzand the mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira.
“The government will set all efforts to, within four or five months, implement a reduction in Troller Tables at CREP, tendentially free for all heavy vehicles,” said Pinto Luz, after a meeting with Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) mayors in Porto.
The minister spoke in a “drastic reduction of what the tolls in CREP are to provoke, with the elasticity of the price, the change of traffic to CREP ”instead of VCI.
Asked when the rate reduction could come into force, Pinto Luz said the goal was to come into force “In January next year”.
Regarding the government’s authority to make decisions being in management, the Minister of Infrastructures stated that the order allowing him to make these decisions was made before the resignation of the executive, and added that The decision was made “with the consensus of all” in the amp.
“Without them it was not possible and a management government would not make this decision, despite the order that unfolded all this was still the government in full functions that defined it,” he said.
Passengers will not be harmed
In turn, Rui Moreira warned that “This cannot influence what you have to do with passenger transport”.
In addition, the mayor states that another issue that has to be evaluated “This is if this should be applied to All hours of the day or notaccording to a cost-benefit analysis ”.
Rui Moreira understands that “Maybe not” It is worth applying an exemption “to a vehicle that passes between 03:00 and 4:00” at VCI.
Record of accidents at VCI
This Thursday, it advanced that, in 2024VCI beat a new record accidentwhich can be explained due to increased traffic.
Until last October, 133,000 cars circulated and 608 accidents were recorded.
Miguel Pinto Luz estimates that new change “may reduce from 16% to 20% the traffic of heavy vehicles at VCI ”.
The minister also said that IP will exhibit conversations with CREP/A41 concessionaires to negotiate tariff changes.
At least since September 2024 the current government has tried to find a “definitive solution” to the problem of traffic at VCI, having reunited individually and collectively with AMA mayors over the subject over the months.
