Joaquim Brandão Pires, first secretary of AMAL, noted demand for Vamus road transport grew by about 20% in March, with absolute demand rising roughly 15% after accounting for the month length.

Increase demand in municipal services

The AMAL official, whose entity acts as the Transport Authority in the Algarve region, emphasised that the increase in passenger numbers was also reflected in road transport managed by municipalities, with a growth of approximately 20%.

Among the municipalities that have consistently been “above 20%” are Faro, Portimão, and Albufeira, he specified, underlining, however, that the increase in passenger numbers does not yet justify changes to the service offering.

Brandão Pires explained that occupancy rates remain average and relatively low, so reinforcing services is not yet necessary.

The first secretary of AMAL, however, admitted the possibility of adapting the service offering “in the medium term and if these increases in passenger numbers consolidate.”

Brandão Pires argued that transport is an area where “the very existence of new offerings generates new demand” and this “is one of the main factors in the sector's growth,” along with measures such as price reductions or the creation of passes.

After the war

The AMAL leader stressed that, after the start of the war, an “effect on the purchase of [transport] tickets,” such as passes, single tickets, or pre-purchased tickets, was immediately felt in the Faro district.

“They all increased immediately, so it was an almost immediate response, with people assuming that the escalation of fuel prices was coming.

Fortunately, it wasn't quite like that, but they immediately started preparing for other transport solutions,” he added.

Extending solutions

Brandão Pires indicated that AMAL already has intermodal solutions that allow passengers “with a single ticket to change transport, whether intermunicipal or municipal,” but acknowledged that it is now necessary to extend these solutions to other bus service providers operating in the region, as well as to the rail network.

“The best thing would be if we could also achieve rail transport, but we haven't managed to get there yet,” he acknowledged, considering that the creation of a green pass for trains in all areas of the country, where intermodal passes, such as those in Lisbon or Porto, have “delayed this intermodality” in the region.

Brandão Pires clarified that AMAL is currently “studying and calculating how much needs to be paid to each operator” to create a single transport ticket that allows access to buses from other carriers operating in the region.

“I would like that by the beginning of the next school year […] we already have all this working,” he estimated, when questioned about the date for the implementation of an intermodal solution.