The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 3rd May 2023
by Mike Evans
Good day to you all and welcome to the latest Algarve Report. The 8th of May is designated as Road Safety Day and one of the topics to be discussed at a seminar in Albufeira is the rise of E-Scooters. The rise in numbers of these vehicles across the world and especially in Europe have caused many countries to make new laws to try and curb their use. In Finland more people are injured on e-scooters, than you are on a motorbike, or while cycling, driving or walking.
In the Algarve there are more and more rental companies offering these scooters to tourists so this is an extremely relevant subject to discuss. The event has the collaboration of the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), Portuguese Road Prevention (PRP) and the Faro Traffic Detachment of the Territorial Command of the National Republican Guard (GNR) of Faro, where issues such as “the legal framework and the legislation in force in the field of electric vehicles, namely scooters and electric bicycles, risks and safe behaviour when driving these vehicles and the importance of supervision”, according to the statement issued by the Event organisers.
There is an average of 12 accidents per month with scooters in Portugal, according to data from Public Safety Police (PSP) for the period between 2019 and 2021
Negligence in driving these vehicles explains most of the accidents, according to the PSP, which warns that the severity of these accidents has been increasing in the last two years, with more light and serious injuries to report.
The initiative will take place at the Municipal Auditorium of Albufeira from 14:00, with free participation but with mandatory prior registration until May 5th via telephone 925 531 045 or 289 599 598.
Now for a brief look at some of the other news from across the Algarve.
3 Injured in Road Accident near Praia Verde
A road accident that took place on the night of Wednesday, April 26, at the intersection of Praia Verde , in the municipality of Castro Marim , caused three injuries, two of them seriously, according to Arenilha TV.
The two seriously injured were a 36-year-old National Republican Guard soldier and a 71-year-old woman, who were transported to the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, in Faro.The area is a place where road accidents often take place, and the population and the municipality have been demanding the construction of a roundabout for several years.
There were 21 operators on site, supported by eight vehicles, while traffic was conditioned.
Water Level at Bravura Reservoir are Down Again
The drought has worsened at the Bravura Reservoir , in the western Algarve, now with 600,000 cubic metres less water than a year ago, forcing farmers to look for alternatives to get around an increasingly complicated scenario.
In one of the country’s most critical reservoirs, the restriction on the use of water for irrigation imposed since February 2022 led dozens of farmers and two golf courses to resort to two boreholes – a situation that will be repeated this year –, while the association which manages the structure, in the municipality of Lagos , and the irrigation perimeter of Alvor, is studying the possibility of more holes and preparing a large-scale project to stop water losses.
“We have much less water than we had last year. Last year was already a very complicated year for our associates and for our irrigators. And this year, life is very difficult”, said António Marreiros, president of the Association of Irrigants and Beneficiaries of Alvor (ARBA).
The director explained that, compared to the same period last year (April 2022), the level dropped from 5,300,000 cubic metres to 4,700,000 cubic metres of water, generating more concern among the 937 beneficiaries covered by the irrigation perimeter .
According to the National Water Resources Information System, on the last day of March 2023, the volume of water in Bravura was 4.747 million cubic metres of water, equivalent to 13.6% of the 34.82 million cubic metres of total storage capacity.
Built in 1958, this dam supplies around 1,800 hectares of farms in the hydro-agricultural perimeter of Alvor, with a total of 937 beneficiaries. The worsening of the drought last year led the Government to restrict the use of water for irrigation from Bravura, serving only for public supply, a measure that this year began ten days earlier than in 2022.
“Last year we started later to supply water to Águas do Algarve and this year we are already supplying 60 litres per second for the water supply to Lagos, Aljezur and Vila do Bispo”, said António Marreiros.
Given the impossibility of irrigation, 30 farmers and two golf courses were served by two boreholes in the Penina area, in the municipality of Portimão, but for farmers in the Odiáxere area, Lagos, no similar alternative was found. “The APA [Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente], exceptionally last year, authorised the opening of some holes in our irrigation perimeter and this year, if this continues and if the farmers so understand, possibly a few more holes will be authorised for to be able to save permanent crops, that is, fruit trees”, pointed out the president of ARBA.
The association is carrying out surveys in some land to try to find water “with quality and quantity” in the subsoil, still without success, and hopes that treated wastewater will be used to irrigate golf courses.
With the use of boreholes, energy consumption has doubled for some producers, although there is a tendency to decrease. “It is unthinkable for a person to have a large crop with water from the holes, because the products are much more expensive. And when we go to the market, we notice that vegetables are more expensive”, he stressed.
To modernise a structure that is more than 60 years old, the irrigation association has already made an investment of 1.7 million euros in waterproofing the supply channels at the Vale da Lama distributor, over a length of ten kilometres, waiting for the use of water for irrigation to be implemented again.
“Unfortunately, we still haven’t managed to put water there. It was an important work, but now we lack the water to put it there. There’s always evaporation, it’s still an open-air channel, but it reduces water losses to a great extent. If we had water, losses of 20% or 30% would decrease to 6 or 7%”, estimated António Marreiros. However, the largest work on the irrigation perimeter of Alvor, worth seven million euros, with support from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), consists of pressurising the system, to “drastically” and “brutally” eliminate ” water losses.
“The team of designers is working on the project. It is expected that the project will be completed by the end of the year, so that we can launch the tender for the physical work, on the ground, to start next year”, advanced the associative leader.
Still in the western Algarve, but in Aljezur, the problem of drought is also felt and the situation will force to “accelerate” all the projects on the table to find alternative solutions, stressed the mayor. Immediately, said José Gonçalves, “the requirement to reduce consumption as much as possible” involves pedagogy and a constant campaign with consumers and a more effective control of municipal equipment and public buildings.
Couple Arrested at Faro Airport on Drug Charges
A couple, aged 36 and 37 have been arrested at Faro airport with 12.9 kilos of cocaine concealed in their luggage, arriving in Faro on a flight originating in Brazil. Both were remanded in custody.
According to the Judicial Police, the couple were detained following an inspection carried out by the customs officers at Faro airport, but did not specify the day on which the detention took place.The authorities also seized an unspecified amount of euro banknotes and other objects related to the crime, said the PJ.
After being present at the first judicial interrogation in Faro, both were subject to preventive detention.
Truck Driver Injured when Lorry Collides with Toll Booths on A2
A truck driver was injured yesterday afternoon, after having collided with the tolls booths on the A2, in Paderne. The vehicle collided and was stuck on top of a ‘rail’ protecting one of the toll lanes on the A2 motorway, in the south-north direction.
The driver of the truck, around 40 years old, suffered minor injuries and was rescued by a team from the Albufeira Fire Department and an INEM medical team, later being transported to the Albufeira Basic Emergency Service. The GNR took care of directing traffic until the truck was removed from the site.
Brazilian lifeguards to reinforce surveillance on Algarve beaches this Summer
The Algarve beach concessions are having difficulties attracting lifeguarding candidates.Due to this lack of applications, Marines have been called in to help with surveillance on the Algarve’s beaches.Shortage of applicants marks post-covid, with just 20 candidates in Praia da Rocha this year.
To resolve the lack of candidates on national soil, the region is preparing to receive Brazilian professionals, who are currently available as it’s the low season in their country of origin.
SIC television channel reported live from Praia da Rocha this week, where from May 1, every beach concession will have its own lifeguards thanks to the additional support. The team coming from Brazil will be made up of 15 lifeguards, helped by a motorbike, a quad bike and a rescue drone.
In total, around 120 lifeguards are coming from Brazil to support various areas of the Algarve, such as Alvor and Albufeira, where the season officially kicks off on May 15. In the meantime, the Praia dos Pescadores beach in Albufeira was the only one guarded all year round. The municipality invested in continuous surveillance to become a year-round beach destination. Portimão is said to follow suit as it considers testing this measure on its beaches.
Man Detained on Drug Charges in Sagres
A 36-year-old man was remanded in custody for drug trafficking on April 28, in the Sagres area , in the municipality of Vila do Bispo , announced the National Republican Guard (GNR).
This man sold narcotic products in various places in the county and was identified after an investigation that had been going on for two months.
During an operation that led to the suspect’s arrest, two house searches were carried out and one in a vehicle, where 524 doses of heroin, 371 doses of cocaine, 1.5 grams of MDMA, a vehicle, and six bottles of nitrous oxide were seized. 211 grams of sodium bicarbonate, 300 grams of creatine, a knife with drug residue, a scale with drug residue, five mobile phones and 1660 euros in cash.
The suspect was detained at the GNR premises and was present at the Judicial Court of Portimão.
Man Detained on Suspicion of Attempted Murder In Olhao
The police arrested a man for the crime of homicide , after he had a falling out and attacked another man, with a bladed weapon, on Wednesday, April 26, in Olhão , announced the Public Security Police (PSP).
The man is 61 years old, lives in Olhão, was detained “in flagrante delicto”, is “suspected of the crime of attempted homicide, and was held in preventive detention, the most serious coercive measure, by decision of the court of instruction where he was present to undergo the first judicial interrogation, the security force specified in a statement.
The authorities were called to respond to an “occurrence of physical aggression in the city of Olhão” and, upon arriving at the scene, PSP agents found the suspect “in possession of a bladed weapon and with traces of blood”. “The victim was lying on the ground with serious and visible injuries, requiring immediate help, which was provided by INEM [National Institute of Medical Emergency]”, added the Faro District Command of the PSP.
The police elements ended up approaching the aggressor, who collaborated with the instructions of the PSP and was arrested “without resorting to the use of force”, said the security force.
The evidence collected in the preliminary investigations shows that the victim and the aggressor knew each other and that the conflict was caused by a “personal misunderstanding”.
The injuries suffered led the victim to be admitted to the Faro unit of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA), from which he was discharged the following day, the PSP also indicated.
7 Arrested for Illegal Gambling In Almancil
Seven men aged between 25 and 53 were accused on April 19 for illegal gambling in Almancil , in the municipality of Loulé , announced the National Republican Guard (GNR).
During an inspection of catering and beverage establishments, the GNR military detected the seven individuals illegally gambling, playing for money.
The GNR also seized 3480 euros in cash and a deck of cards used in the practice of the game.The suspects were made defendants and the facts communicated to the Judicial Court of Loulé.
Have a Safe Week.