Seixal, Portugal, June 12, 2025 (Lusa) - The mayor of Seixal told the Lusa news agency that only one of the six electric boats that can make the crossing between the south bank and Lisbon remains in service, so the shipyard that built them will carry out repairs.

Paulo Silva was speaking to the Lusa news agency following a meeting with the management of Transtejo Soflusa, in view of the successive disruptions to the river service between Seixal and Lisbon, with cancellations and failure to comply with timetables.

The mayor said that the company had told him that the it would resolve the problem next week, so technicians from the shipyard that built the electric boats operating on the Tagus will intervene.

“For the service between Seixal and Lisbon to run smoothly, four boats are needed, three in circulation and one in reserve. Currently, only one electric boat is operating on this route, and two are running on diesel," he said.

The mayor of Seixal said that the successive constraints on the river connection between his municipality and Lisbon have prompted the population to seek alternative transport options, as river transport no longer meets their expectations.

“Even at rush hour, the occupancy rate of the boats is around 50%,” he said.

Paulo Silva stated that he would continue to monitor the situation and request a meeting with the newly appointed government to demand a solution to a chronic problem that particularly affects the population of Seixal.

Transtejo Soflusa (TTSL) is responsible for the river connection between Seixal, Montijo, Cacilhas, Barreiro and Trafaria/Porto Brandão, in the district of Setúbal, and Lisbon.

In 2024, TTSL transported a total of 1,040,043 passengers on the river connection between Seixal and Lisbon.

GC/ADB // ADB.

Lusa