Portuguese drivers dangerous?

Bom dia Mr. Paul Luckman,

Reference is made to your interesting story about the behaviour of Portuguese drivers, in The Portugal News of 11 June 2022.

Let me introduce myself first. I am a senior Dutch permanent resident for 6.5 years now. After 3 years on the westcoast of the Algarve, in Bordeira near Carrapateira, it’s now Santa Luzia Tavira where I live. Have been cycling in mostly the Algarve and in Alentejo since 2001.

In all those years, cycling - road bike, BTT, trekking bike - has been quite a challenge on roads shared with motorised traffic. Not always, relief!

This feeling is confirmed by a great many cyclists, both Portuguese and foreign. How about 1,5 meters distance when overtaking... that leaves a lot to be desired.

An expert on cycling in Portugal, Huw Thomas of pedalportugal.com (brilliant information) commented, for example, on the N2 being promoted as a out-of-the-ordinary bike experience.

“Ridiculous”, he wrote. “On parts of this route you risk to be flattened by truck drivers”.

On the N268, between Bordeira/Carrapateira and Vila do Bispo, I survived 3 near-heart attacks. A truck that overtook me in a bend of the road (!), distance 50 centimetres. An old man in a car that almost pushed me into the bushes. A car driver without patience, overtaking me when another car from the other direction was clearly in sight.

On that same road, 2 German female touring cyclists, on the roadside, in tears and shock. Another driving maniac made their Portuguese experience a nightmare.

Maniac? Yes, that is what I was told by an American cyclist about the N2. Too many maniacs, he said.

Lucky me, in Santa Luzia - a privilage to visit and live and nearby Tavira drivers are used to seeing cyclists on the road.

In general, has the standard of driving in Portugal improved? The statistics prove it, so you write. For us cyclists a lot remains to be changed for the better.

I very much enjoyed reading you.

Michiel van Dam,

Santa Luzia, By email

Short Term Lets

Editor, Firstly, we thoroughly appreciate “The Portugal News” which is always entertaining and insightful, it contains interesting, pertinent, and up to the minute information which affects both locals, as well as people such as ourselves, who purchased a property in “Condominio Victoria Gardens, Vilamoura” some 4 years ago.

We recently had “some very noisy short term holiday tenants “ this a regular scenario during the summer season. When we discussed this with Procondominio, both in writing and verbally, they stipulated that your article “Court Bans short term rentals in residential buildings” was being examined by their attorneys “ Here in our condominium, various owners openly only let out to short – term holiday makers, at up to 1,000 euros per week. It appears from the Supreme Court of Justice (STI) that the precedent is not binding, judgement is openly ignored by owners and property agents alike. The STI is ignored with “no-one being made to pay the fine of 150 euros a day what is the point of impecunious laws on “short term rentals” when they are totally repudiated?

With less than 50 residual court cases since 2018, and “court bans not being adhered to” What is the short- and long-term future” for existing owners of property, when our rights are impugned through holiday makers carousing until the small hours of the morning and sometimes until the sun comes up?

Holiday makers are always welcome, here in Procondominio, there is a recommended 11pm closure for music and loud guests. That of course is ignored, when the holiday makers imbibe too much after a late night, we prefer our neighbours to be residents, as more consideration is given by neighbours, whereas 1 or two holiday guests operate with more abandon.

We would welcome “the Supreme Court of Justice laws being implemented” rather than being dormant, which is currently the case. Evidently blind eyes are currently the case, as these “well thought through short term laws” are openly rejected, by owners and property agents.

Keith Blair, Belo,

Vilamoura, By email

Re : Crypto Currencies

EDITOR, The value of Bitcoin continues to plunge. At its high in November 2021 its unit worth reached USD 69,000 but has since declined by 67% to a value of less than $20,000

In general terms, crypto currencies high point market valuation has fallen from USD 3 trillion to around USD 950 billion and there is no reason to believe that this lemming like run to the precipice of financial disaster will not continue.

Around the globe, small investors have good reason to rue the day when they were convinced by expert propagandists to part with their savings to participate in a mafia led ponzi scheme which runs a frenetic course 24/7 with virtually no regulatory body to combat fraud.

TPN would do a great service to its readers by halting the lucrative series of promotional articles which have taken so much recent advertising space at least until such time as an honest registered financial advisor can contribute a counter column warning of the inherent dangers.

There is a bright future in the digital world for blockchain financing but only when the present renegade managements can be replaced authoritarian regimes with full powers of investigation and regulation.

Roberto Cavaleiro,

By email