“It is good to think about this, because, in view of Article 13 of the Constitution, we are all equal in rights and obligations. And, I would say, outside of school transport, is there public transport for the population?”, asked Carlos Miguel.

The government official, who was speaking during the opening of the 7th Annual Meeting of Transport Authorities, taking place in Castelo Branco, raised several questions regarding access to the public transport service, which he left for reflection.

“What I question is that apart from the large centers and particularly the metropolitan areas and even in these, apart from their fringes, if there is regular public transport for the population nationwide? Does it reach all citizens or not?”, he asked.

The government official also addressed the issue of transport operators.

“Do we have a private supply of operators throughout the national territory? From what we see in the competitions, it seems not. And even when there are operators, is there competition between operators? In other words, do we have public tenders with three, or four operators competing and offering the best price and the best service to that CIM [Intermunicipal Community] or that municipality? It seems not,” he stressed.