Chega defends the extension of the calamity situation until the end of the month and its extension to other municipalities in the West zone, in addition to the continuation of toll exemption in areas affected by bad weather.
In a statement, the National Directorate and the Chega Parliamentary Group challenge the Government “to extend the state of calamity until the end of this month, to extend its application to territories not yet covered, namely municipalities in the western zone of the Lisbon district, and to extend, accordingly, the exemption from tolls in the affected areas”.
“With meteorological instability still present, homes and businesses destroyed and losses to be counted, it is imperative that all public means, ordinary and exceptional, continue to be mobilized in the coming weeks, ensuring an effective and rapid response to the affected populations”, argue Chega leaders.
The party also argues that there is still “significant damage to be repaired and support to be implemented” and that “the formal end of the state of calamity implies the end of a set of exceptional response mechanismsat a time when situations of social and economic vulnerability persist and the impacts of the destruction have not yet been fully assessed”.
Sixteen people died in Portugal following the passage of depressions Kristin, Leonardo and Marta, which also caused many hundreds of injuries and displacement.
The total or partial destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, the fall of trees and structures, the closure of roads, schools and transport services, and the cut of energy, water and communications, floods and floods are the main material consequences of the storm.
The Centro, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and Alentejo regions are the most affected.
The calamity situation declared by the Government on January 29th in the areas most affected by Depression Kristin, and prolonged twice after new storms, ends this Sunday, as well as the exemption from tolls.
First decreed on January 29th, then extended until February 8th and later until today, the calamity situation for 68 Portuguese municipalities ends now, as does the exemption from tolls in the affected territories, despite the demands of several municipalities.
The toll exemption covered sections originating or ending on the A8, A17, A14 and A19 motorways, reinforcing support for the mobility of populations in the affected regions.
In conjunction with concessionaires and sub-concessionaires, the exemption was applied on the A8, between Valado de Frades and Leiria Nascente; on the A17, between the connection to the A8 and Mira; on the A14, between Santa Eulália and Nó de Ança; and on the A19, between the Azoia and São Jorge interchanges. Crossing traffic was not covered.
On Saturday, the Intermunicipal Community of the Leiria Region appealed to the President of the Republic to intervene in the extension of the exemption from tolls on the main highways serving that territory, following the destruction caused by the Kristin depression.
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