Municipal support for transport passes for the elderly in Vila Nova de Gaia will be interrupted, at least during the month of January, affecting thousands of beneficiaries of the ViverGaia+65 program. The decision was announced by the president of the chamber, Luís Filipe Menezes, who defends a reformulation of the model and a more selective application of social support.
At issue is the municipal contribution to the Andante senior pass, a program that, according to the municipality, will be resumed in 2026 and could return in February, but with more restricted criteria and aimed only at pensioners with lower incomes.
A measure under reassessment
According to SIC Notícias, Luís Filipe Menezes had already indicated, in a post on social media, that the transport program was being reevaluated and that the objective was to concentrate support on the most vulnerable elderly people in the community.
In the same publication, the mayor highlighted that the future priority will be to support lower-income pensioners, stating that “we will do everything to make this possible in February”, although without guaranteeing a concrete date.
Program considered excessive
Note that the mayor classified the ViverGaia+65 program as “completely irresponsible”, remembering that the support represents a contribution of 17.50 euros on a pass whose total value is 22.50 euros.
In 2024, around 10,000 people signed up for the program, but the potential number of beneficiaries could reach 70,000 elderly residents in the municipality, which, according to Luís Filipe Menezes, could translate into an expense of tens of millions of euros.
The financial argument
He mentions that the mayor spoke of a “heavy bill” paid at the end of the year, without quantifying values, warning that the continuation of the measure, in its current form, “would be the ruin of the municipality”.
To justify the need for change, Menezes stated that “it makes no sense to subsidize citizens with two, three, four, five and more thousands of euros in pension or retirement”, defending a model more adjusted to the economic condition of the beneficiaries.
Opposition criticism
The Gaia PS reacted critically to the decision, accusing the municipal executive of having made an “abrupt cut” to the support that covered around 9,000 users of the Andante Municipal 3rd Age card.
The socialist councilors consider that the decision was taken “lightly, devoid of social sensitivity” and without prior communication to the beneficiaries, leaving thousands of elderly people without support considered essential for daily mobility.
Request for clarification
According to the same source, PS/Gaia announced that it will request an urgent meeting with the administration of Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto to obtain detailed financial data about the program.
The party’s local structure also intends to take the issue to the next council meeting, considering that the suspension of support represents a setback in the quality of life of the elderly and a decision taken outside the municipal political debate.
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