Fuels: Anthropo requests continuation of extraordinary support

ANDm reported, the National Passenger Transport Association (Antrop) considers that “in the face of an extraordinary situation whose duration cannot be anticipated, the public response should be able to monitor the actual evolution of the market rather than be limited to a previously defined administrative period”.

In June, the government issued a ordinance allowing the extraordinary payment of EUR 420 per month and for eligible heavy vehicle for three months, a period which, in the meantime, ended.

“ The three-month period considered for the purpose of the support has ended and it is currently not expected to continue, although the extraordinary pressure on operators’ costs is maintained,” Anthropo adds.

Antrop estimates that the impact of the rise in fuels will be EUR 15 million between July and September, based on an increase of EUR 0,289 per litre in the average price of diesel between the beginning of July and August 24 and assuming the maintenance of price levels this month.

According to the association, this support was a recognition of the extraordinary situation and the need to support operators, but the situation “did not end after three months”.

“ We argue that the public response remains aligned with the economic reality that gave rise to it and remains as long as the exceptional conditions that justified the measure persist,” the association writes.

For the association, it should be considered a monitoring logic in Portugal “as long as extraordinary disruption persists”, in addition to a regular evaluation “based on objective criteria”, to check whether there are conditions to maintain its maintenance.

Anthropo also warns of the effects that may arise from the lack of support for the sector, including “increased difficulties in maintaining contracted service levels and in the responsiveness of companies”, and that, “in more extreme situations, some operators may no longer have the economic conditions to ensure certain services”.

The association also stressed that the current situation reinforces “the need to build, for the future, greater predictability in the way the sector responds to extraordinary cost shocks”, as contractual mechanisms “that allow to reflect more appropriately relevant changes in production factors”.

On Friday, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro indicated that the discount on fuel tax already amounts to “about EUR 700 million” in 2026 and admitted new measures if prices remain at the level of the last four weeks.

“The country is making a very significant effort, which needs to be monitored, and if there is a constant oscillation, as there has been over the last four weeks, if it remains, the government is obviously available to deal with this development with the adoption of the measures that seem most appropriate to us,” said Luís Montenegro in Nelas, Viseu.

The head of the government pointed to the discount on Oil and Energy Taxes (ISP), which can be “checked on the invoice itself” and totals 23 cents per litre.

Anthropo brings together 74 public passenger transport companies.