Betar

Tell us a bit about your career.

I was born in Funchal and graduated in Civil Engineering, Hydraulics, from the University of Coimbra in 1983. I started working soon after in the “waters” of Funchal City Council. There was a shortage of engineers. I did a master’s degree in Hydraulics and Water Resource Management at Técnico, in Lisbon, and then started my doctorate. I was halfway through my doctorate, in 1989, when I had the opportunity to go as a substitute to the Assembly of the Republic. It ruined my doctorate, but it was a kind of second course, also in life. In 1991, Dr. Alberto João invited me to chair Madeira’s Water Management Institute (IGA). I returned permanently to the region and, for about 10 years, I did my best to create and consolidate, from scratch, an organization that would manage the region’s waters in an integrated way. I’m very proud of the work we did, interconnecting water sources, new groundwater abstractions, improving the quality of drinking water and monitoring it. At a certain point, I started to think about changing my life. And that’s what happened when I was invited to manage VIALITORAL. I haven’t yet had the chance to resume my doctorate. I’ve been managing roads for over 20 years and teaching “Transportation and Roads” at UMA for over 10.

VIALITORAL has been responsible for operating and maintaining Madeira’s most important highway since 2000. Can you talk a little about the particularities of the infrastructure?

It is the first SCUT Concessionaire to operate in Portugal, with the right to operate the road for 25 years. This right came in return for a payment, under the terms of a demanding contract, the duty to maintain it and, in the end, to return it in enviable condition by the usual standards of the national road network. What’s more, we could become the first national concessionaire to undergo a process of reversion of the infrastructure, as our contract is due to expire in January 2025. As for the state of maintenance and upkeep of what we have under concession, particularly in terms of roadworks and tunnels, BETAR may even be in a better position than I am to attest to where we stand in a comparative ranking. We’re not afraid of comparisons. In terms of infrastructure characteristics, we are also unique. In general terms, the VR1 is a 44 km long road with two one-way lanes, each with two lanes, literally built on a rugged terrain. It therefore contains an exceptional density of tunnels and works of art. Since 2017, 7 of the 44 km of VR1 have been returned to public management. However, we still have around 30 tunnels under concession and 14 dozen bridges, viaducts and IPs. In other words, around 70% of our infrastructure is, roughly speaking, bridged or tunneled and this sets us apart from most concessions. Both operation and maintenance, per kilometer of road, are necessarily more demanding and expensive.

What are your main duties at VIALITORAL?

As General Manager I try to manage the company within a framework of trust, organization, discipline, professionalism, demand, commitment, enthusiasm and respect for everyone involved. We work as a team and we have been successful. I’m very proud of the commitment of our staff. Then there is the evidence of the great trust placed in us by the shareholders and, it must be said, by the Grantor itself, for which we are very grateful. This gives us decision-making autonomy and allows us to plan our actions over the longer term to fulfill our commitment. In terms of safety for road users, we say that this is a priority for the concessionaire, and we are satisfied with the state of our infrastructure. Reducing road accidents on our road is a permanent objective. Our road is very difficult and when the indicators deteriorate, we reschedule investments because, as you know, quality sidewalks lead to fewer accidents.

Since the beginning of the concession, BETAR has provided support in the management and inspection of a significant number of Works of Art, as well as technical advice and support in the area of bridges. How does BETAR contribute to your objectives?

BETAR is a first-rate partner and a pillar we trust. It’s a knowledgeable company that’s becoming more and more global, and that helps. As it is also involved in how to do things, it doesn’t just intervene to tell us what’s wrong. In more than 20 years, we’ve had good times and bad times with our infrastructure, including the need to find non-standard solutions to special problems. There has also been the need to deal with exceptional events, some with a major impact on the region. BETAR has never failed and as soon as it admitted that we might be having problems it said “present”. This is also indicative of the company’s attitude.

This interview is part of Artes & Letras Magazine #144, September 2022
Partially automatic translation from portuguese: some expressions may differ from their actual meaning.