The plan outlines two key route scenarios that link institutional, commercial, and residential districts to provide quick and simple access to both cities' major hubs.

“Sustainable Cross-border Urban Mobility of the Tui-Valença Eurocity”, a study presented last week, revealed that there are around 5,400 vehicles a day travelling across borders between these two territories, and suggests that the implementation of the pilot action will last three months on both working and non-working days.

By assuming a 25 percent or 50 percent reduction in these movements, while transferring them to the new emission-free public transport, the study obtained a decarbonisation potential of 1.15 ton/CO2 less and 2.3 ton/CO2 less per day, respectively.

The study was presented as a contribution to increasing the supply of public transport between two urban centres of the Eurocity, as part of the Reve_Gov_Minho project, co-financed by Interreg VI-A, 2021-2027 Spain-Portugal.

The analysis concluded that car use predominates throughout the territory, with the Union of Parishes of Valença, Cristelo Novo and Arão having a car use rate of around 70 percent, while the use of public transport was notably low at around 7.0 percent.

Of the total number of residents in that union of parishes, 3.9 percent cross the border with Spain when travelling home, to work or for education. On the other hand, around 48.0 percent of the inhabitants make their journeys mainly in their parish of residence.

The analysis emphasises that it is essential for there to be close coordination between the municipalities and the transport authorities in the target territory, as well as promoting the request for authorisation from national regulators.

In Portugal, authorisation is the responsibility of the Mobility and Transport Authority, which issues binding prior opinions authorising the start of public passenger transport service operations.