Madeira News Blog

(25th September). Today’s main news headline : ‘Metropolitiana Forgets Santa Cruz – It’s been six years since the people of Santa Cruz saw any new project coming to their region’. That was the multi-storey car park asked for by the câmara from the Sociedade Metropolitana de Desenvolvimento (SMD – Metropolitan Development Society). SMD is the responsibility of the vice-presidency of the Madeira government, and has the responsibility of improving the supply of social and economic infrastructures, through the promotion of sustained investment, to enable new local developments. SMD also covers the areas of Porto Santo, Funchal and Câmara de Lobos. The work of the SMD is often obscured by the local council presidents who take the credit for any new and popular developments, but now the local politicians are not so pleased with the lack of recent activity in the area. Asked about the lack of work, the president of Santa Cruz admits that he would like to have more developments in his region, but tried to play-down the situation. “I would have liked to have more projects, we all would, but it was not possible. We must remember that Santa Cruz has already received four works conducted by the Metropolitana in recent years”. The four projects referred to are : Aquaparque, the sea front at Ribeira da Boaventura, the Largo do Caniço, and the beach zone at Reis Magos. 

The main front page photo today shows a traffic jam : ‘War Of Neighbours In Order To Park Occupies Carriageway – The Chaos on the [road] 5 de Outubro has worsened since the start of school. The council gives in to residents and complicates the life of those who come down through Viveiros’. The traffic of Funchal needs routes, as getting in and out remains awkward, and the hope now is on the new Via Expresso at the port. Peak traffic times are particularly difficult, despite the completion of improvement works completed in central Funchal, and now it’s ‘back to school’ the problem has worsened. The Cota 40 and especially at largo da Cruz Vermelha are highlighted problem areas. The article goes on to list and debate just about every problem on every major road in Funchal, but isn’t it the point that traffic problems are the best way to get people to look to alternatives, such as public transport, and park and ride, and even if I might be so bold to suggest ‘on foot’. If the council keeps looking to make improvements in the traffic flow, it is going to counter its attempts to create a ‘green’ city. Bus lanes on every major road would be my solution, with a few well placed ‘park and ride’ schemes.

‘Convict Beats Up Man In Funchal – The accused of the aggression that sent the man to intensive care, had already robbed the house of a police commissioner’. The 20 year old convict was detained, but subsequently managed to escape, after also being taken to hospital. His 44 year old victim is in a serious condition in Funchal Central Hospital with head injuries.

‘PSP Receives New Guns – The regional command is one of the first in the country to be equipped with the ‘glock’. They are the “latest shout” in firearms, and Madeira already has it’s new stock ready to issue to police officers. The 9 mm weapon is “Characterized by its high taking-out power”. I for one intend to be very well behaved over the next few weeks, as no doubt our fine officers will be keen to try out their new toys. I might even have to be nice to Uncle Bertie when he is over this way again, and even shake hands with him, in case he tells the police to sort me out.

In football, a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo, with the headline ‘Spanish Change Their Opinion – Finally they give in. In Spain, the same press that ‘attacked’ CR9 now appears to idolise him’. After 5 goals in 4 league games, and 8 goals for Real Madrid altogether, Ronaldo has turned a doubtful Spanish press into a bunch of slobbering hero worshippers. He is now the top topic in newspapers and sports circles.

In entertainment : ‘Comedy Brings ‘Aces’ From The TV In October’. National comedy arrives on Madeira next month, with stars from Flor do Mar and Malucos do Riso / Morangos Com Açúcar. The theatre comedy is called ‘I Love My Penis’ (and that has not been translated), and has been doing the rounds in theatres throughout Portugal. It’s for over 18′s. 

‘Via Expresso In The North Ready In 2011′. During a visit to the new road construction yesterday, the regional secretary responsible said that the new road between Boaventura and São Vicente would be ready in 2011. The total length of the extension is 7.1 km. The road is being constructed in three phases, with two phases already underway (Boaventura – Ponta Delgada 1.341 km, and Ponta Delgada – Faja da Areia 3.254 km). 4 new tunnels will be needed to complete the route.

‘Child psychiatry unit opens with a lack of professionals – It needs two child psychiatry doctors, but at present there is only one’. The new centre, São Rafael, was inaugurated yesterday, and is the first one on Madeira, and just the third one in Portugal, that specialises in children aged between 10 and 18 with acute mental health problems. The unit can accommodate 10 patients, with an emergency reserve that can be called upon if needed. Amongst other mental problems, the unit will deal with children who suffer psychotic episodes, make suicide attempts, and suffer severe depression and behavioural changes.

Portugal had 2,213 new case of Gripe A swine flu between 14th and 20th September. Around 20 of the victims were hospitalised.

The ongoing strike by customs officers is causing some problems with incoming freight by sea. Two container ships, the ‘Apolo’ and the ‘Portdouro’, suffered significant delays yesterday in the unloading of containers, posing a threat to the restocking of Madeira’s supermarkets. The deliveries included 30 refrigerated containers, which were released thanks to ‘shortcuts’ permitted by the Director of Customs, but the other containers will remain in Caniçal Port until the strike is over and the release can go through the normal customs channels.  

‘Easyjet Increases Weekly Flights Between Madeira And The United Kingdom – One more connection on the Stansted route will start operating at the end of October’. The UK airport will now have 5 weekly flights for the start of the Winter season. As a result of the same negotiations with Tourism of Madeira, Easyjet will also operate 4 weekly Gatwick to Madeira flights in the Winter, and 3 in the Summer, which is one extra. Including the Bristol route, that will make 12 Winter and 11 Summer flights to and from the UK.

‘Luxury Italian Ship In Port – The new cruise ship of the Costa fleet makes it’s debut today in Funchal Port’. The €450 million Costa Luminosa brings over 2,700 Italian tourists, before leaving for Malaga at 5.30 pm. It underwent the usual inauguration process early this morning, with a good soaking from a powerful water ‘canon’. It will be back again on the 6th October, with 4 more visits to Madeira scheduled for this year. Among its specialities, the ship is a floating art gallery, with nearly five thousand works of art, of which 288 are original works.

Watch out – there is an ‘extreme’ UV rating for sun exposure today! It was even mentioned on the national news earlier.

(7th June). ‘Director Of The Public Security Police Announces More Police And Guns’.
‘GLOCK Arrives For 750′. All 750 officers of the public security police here are to be issued with new Glock 9mm guns before the end of this year. That’s the promise of the national director for the PSP. Another piece of news he brought on his visit here from Portugal, is that there are 900 police recruits (PSP) due to finish their training in October, and they will be distributed around the country, with some coming to Madeira. The squads here require more resources for ongoing security programs, and to support the concept of ‘community policing’. It is unknown yet how many of the 900 will be sent here, but it seems certain that the ratio of 3 police officers per 1,000 population, one of the lowest in Portugal, will be affected. I would have been much happier to have read headline saying that government had new moves to beat drugs and relieve poverty, than this headline, but I suppose that’s human nature to tackle the effects rather than the causes, what with more police and guns. If only this government had acted on the early signs of drug problems a few years ago, learning from the vast experience of it’s European neighbours, but they let it get out of hand and then try and backtrack. Shame on you Bertie, although I have no doubt the voters won’t punish you for it.

‘Courts Confuse VIP Residences – The administrative court ordered the electricity to be cut-off in the controversial ‘villas’ of Caminho dos Saltos. Another court ordered the contrary. It just remains to see the lawsuits emerge’. The ‘Villas Jardins D’Água’, better known locally as the VIP Residences, are in the centre of a clash between courts, with one ordering the electricity to be cut-off, whilst the other, ‘Vara Mista’ in Funchal, ordered the electricity company to set-up the supply contracts. The decision to cut-off the electricity was a matter of the red-tape and not all of the correct procedures being followed to have an electricity supply, the other was to uphold an injunction filed by the condominium owners who were able to prove they had done everything as it should have been done. Did you know that many people refer to electricity as ‘luz’ (light), so when there is a power cut for example, or the oven doesn’t work "Não há luz", or when the bill comes it is time to "pagar a luz".

‘Funchal Central Hospital Has New Stroke Unit – The new unit should contribute to shorter stays in hospital and less fatalities’. It will be inaugurated on Thursday, and required an investment of around €250,000.

‘Man Suspected Of Shooting In Canhas Arrested – The 59 year old man is required to report in twice weekly by court order’. The shooting after a quarrel last Thursday hit two people, one of whom is still in hospital with severe facial injuries.

Cristiano Ronaldo was introduced to the fans of Real Madrid last night. All over the newspapers today, not to mention the TV. CR737 (not CR9 as reported in the media) attracted 85,000 fans to the event, beating the ancient record belonging to Maradona, and who knows who many TV viewers worldwide. He managed to speak a few sentences to the fans in Spanish, at least I think it was as I couldn’t understand most of it, only to say that he was very happy to be there and that he had fulfilled a childhood dream. The Diário calls him the ‘new idol’ of Madrid on their front page story.

(6th & 7th June). ‘Prison Guard Strike – Madeira registers a participation of close to 100%’. The trade union representing prison guards took all its members out on a three day strike that started yesterday, leaving just a bare minimum of cover for the daily duties required. The 40 strikers gathered alongside Funchal prison yesterday, protesting over issues of employment status, retirement at age 60, and issues of pay, amongst other things. This national strike will continue through Wednesday, with a second 3 day strike scheduled for the 17th – 19th July.

(7th July). ‘Spanish Operator Brings 10,500 Tourists – Promotional effort works in Spain; ‘Costas Galícia’ increases traffic through Madeira, despite of the crisis’. Spanish travellers aged over 35, without kids, are those that look to Madeira for a holiday, and the tour operator ‘Costal Galícia’ has managed to attract over 10,000 of them to visit this year, increasing their previous sales in 2008 by 60%. The weekly flights with SATA have seats for 168 tourists from Madrid, and another 80 from Porto, in a clever initiative covering both airports, ensuring the flights are fully booked in July. A spokesman for the tour operator said that the initiative is running very well, although it is very surprising, as in these times less Spanish are leaving Spain to go on holiday. I think the July package holiday prices of €460-480 per person for a week might have had something to do with it too.

(20^th May) On the national TV news this morning it was announced that the law has been changed to allow security guards, working for private companies, to carry guns. The change is effective from 6^th June. Whether that will automatically apply to Madeira under its autonomous status I don’t know.

(16^th May) Unemployment for Portugal as a whole is hovering around the 8.9% mark, higher than expected. Nearly half a million people are now registered as unemployed, in the worst situation in the last 23 years. I wonder if someone will release the Portuguese equivalent of the 1981 hit by UB40 ‘One In Ten’ … a dire situation indeed.

(15^th May) The government of the republic approved on Thursday a decree limiting the number of residency permits to be issued for the year to 3,800. This applies only to residence visas to be granted to non-EU nationals, wishing to work in Portugal. In 2008 the number issued was 8,600, yet there were only 3,300 jobs offered to non-EU nationals that year.