TTSL announced the suspension of the ferry connecting Belém, Porto Brandão and Trafaria for "technical reasons" and could not predict the resumption of the service.
A river connection between Belém and Trafaria temporarily suspended "for technical reasons"says TTSL in a statementHe also stated that, "at the moment, it is not possible to predict the resumption of regular service". The carrier has not provided any further details about the technical reasons for this unexpected interruption as of Wednesday, July 27.
“While we regret the inconvenience caused, we are making every effort to re-establish the transport service on this river link as soon as possible."says the company. The connection between Belém and Trafaria, which passes through Porto Brandão, is the only one of TTSL's five lines where boats of this style circulate. ferrieswhich allow vehicles such as cars and motorcycles to be transported. It is also the only TTSL connection where a significant number of bicycles, namely 30, can be transported free of charge.
O ferry Belém - Porto Brandão - Trafaria is also a good option for accessing the beaches of the Costa da Caparica, either on foot (with the help of the Carris Metropolitana buses on the other side) or by bicycle (with the existing cycle link on the Almada side, from Trafaria). In the summer, the interruption of this link could also have an impact on tourism and leisure.
In press release, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) says that "was informed by TTSL's board of directors" of the suspension and reinforces that "service will be resumed as soon as possible". However, AML, which through TML is responsible for Carris Metropolitanahas not announced any alternative road offer to river transport.
For their part, the trade unions representing TTSL workers - the River Workers' Union and Simamevip - indicate which "Transtejo's route cuts continue (...) due to a lack of investment and maintenance planning". "Investment in the fleet and the hiring of workers are central points of the Transtejo workers' struggle, because if this is not done, every day that passes, there will be more ships immobilized," the unions warn. "We also need to invest in maintenance programming, in the acquisition of materials and equipment, in the hiring of workers, to provide the company with the necessary means to restore the capacity to recover ships and end the situation that is happening today, of 'cannibalizing' one ship to put another one to sea."
In recent days, TTSL has also been unable to fully ensure the river connection between Cais do Sodré and Cacilhas, claiming "technical constraints on the fleet" and announced possible "service disruptions". This warning was issued on July 25th, repeated on the 26th and replicated again on the 27th. "Due to technical constraints in the fleet, it is not possible to guarantee that all the planned routes will be carried out", communicated the operator. "In order to minimize the impact of route cancellations and delays, some ships begin their journey as soon as the maximum capacity of passengers on board has been reached, regardless of the scheduled time."
