The Government once again allocates extraordinary aid of “up to 17.4 million euros” to the public passenger transport sector, to alleviate the effects of the increase in fuel prices in the last quarter of the year.
The support aims to “mitigate the effects of the escalation of fuel prices in the public passenger transport sector for the period between October 1 and December 31, 2022, to be operationalized by the Environmental Fund ”, according to a resolution of the Council of Ministers. , approved on December 15 and published this Thursday in Diário da República.
The extraordinary and exceptional aid “is paid in one go, and corresponds to the following amounts: a) 228 euros for each licensed taxi; b) 1,260 euros for each heavy tourism vehicle, with a license for public transport, of categories M2 and M3 or equivalent and that uses fossil fuel other than natural gas; c) 1,890 euros for each heavy tourism vehicle, with a public transport license, categories M2 and M3 or equivalent, with a public transport license and that uses natural gas”.
According to the resolution, which is effective as of the date of its approval -December 15-, the support is aimed at vehicles that use fossil fuels and that have demonstrated a valid mandatory periodic inspection.
The amounts of the support are calculated based on a value of 20 cents per liter for vehicles that use fossil fuels other than natural gas and 30 cents per liter for heavy-duty vehicles that use natural gas, “assuming a consumption of 380 liters per month in taxis and 2,100 liters per month in buses, with reference to the period between October 1 and December 31, 2022”.
The Government diploma determines that the expenses derived from the planned support are distributed -with 7.4 million euros for this year and 10 million euros for 2023- and indicates that “the amount set for the 2023 financial year may be increased by the balance calculated in the previous year”.
This measure is supported by the Environmental Fund, with funds from the Portuguese Environment Agency, and it will be “paid until March 31, 2023, in a single payment and after validation that the vehicles for which support is requested comply” with the required rules.
To access the aid, vehicle operators in the public passenger transport sector must complete a registration form, which the Environmental Fund will make available on its website.
According to the diploma, the payment of the support “depends on the fact that the information provided by the operators has been validated and considered eligible by the Institute of Mobility and Transport.”
In January of this year, the Government created extraordinary support aimed at companies operating in the sector, with reference to the period between November 1, 2021 and March 31, to respond to the increase in fuel prices with the “urgent application of extraordinary measures”. .
Subsequently, the executive established the maintenance of these supports in the amounts, respectively, of 25.1 million euros and 17.4 million euros, which correspond, respectively, to the periods between April 1 and June 30. and between July 1 and September 30.
Taking into account the current context, it was considered that “exceptional circumstances derived from the increase in fuel prices require the maintenance of extraordinary measures”, to safeguard the “important role of public transport in inducing more sustainable mobility patterns and in the promotion of the decarbonisation of mobility”. .
Source: Observadora
