Portuguese local councils criticised over stalled transport, market and waste projects

Deputy Marlene Damião of the Socialist Party said the Azores regional government failed to plan the free shuttle service that links residents and tourists to the popular Lagoa do Fogo on São Miguel, noting that the service, launched in 2023 for the June‑September season, was unavailable despite the award of the contract to a transport company.

In the municipality of Lagoa on mainland Portugal, PSD councilor Rúben Cabral condemned a decade of delays in the municipal market’s renovation, highlighting that more than €126,000 had been spent on studies and contracts since 2016 without any construction work beginning. He proposed creating a temporary pop‑up market to revive the space and support local producers.

In Ferreira do Zêzere, PSD councillors labeled a municipal plot in Gravulha an “open‑air dump” after the site, originally opened as an emergency waste‑collection area following Storm Kristin, became a repository for assorted debris. PS mayor Bruno Gomes called for “common sense,” announced the establishment of an Environment Office, and outlined immediate measures such as installing a gate, video surveillance and fines, while the PSD demanded its urgent closure.