The President of the Bar Association, João Massano, criticized the difficulties faced by island residents in accessing the mobility subsidy for air travel. Massano rejects that citizens should be forced to advance money to the state, arguing that the resident fare should be paid directly at the time of purchase.
Speaking at the centenary commemoration of the Bar Association in Funchal, Massano asked Deputy Secretary of State Carla Rodrigues to convey to the Council of Ministers that "in Madeira, the citizen does not want to be subsidized, they want to be treated as a resident." He also mentioned the closure of the AIMA office in Madeira, stating that "on an island, a state service cannot close because a counter has closed."
Massano reported problems with the support access platform and difficulties in receiving reimbursements, declaring: "I do not accept that a Portuguese citizen needs six attempts to receive what is theirs." He stressed that it is the state's responsibility to ensure a more viable process, criticizing the current model that requires passengers to advance funds.
