No careful analysis or data from Pordata is needed to verify that our car fleet is aging.
Unlike what happened with our national football team, the golden generation of the 90s was not replaced and has been forced to fulfill the same role for more than two decades.
The paint is burnt, maintenance overdue and breakdowns always lurking, but it's not their fault.
Whose fault is it then?
Blame resides in the places where political decisions are made. Where it is decided to systematically increase the tax burden on the car, stubbornly not realizing that it is an important part of the economy and even of society — in Portugal, the car represents more than 20% of State revenue.
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The fault is with taxes such as VAT, ISV and a IUC that even penalize the most recent cars.
Now, in a country where the minimum wage does not go beyond 635 euros and the average wage is not far from that amount, many Portuguese owe a deep gratitude to these capeless heroes with burnt paint, who every day fulfill missions for the which are not already carved.
Thanks for refusing to stop, for using cheap parts, for being easy to repair and frugal in consumption. Basically, because they allow an impoverished country not to become even more impoverished.
The fact is that even though the car park is old, a country on the move is better than a stationary one. I wonder what our economy would be like if those 900,000 cars over 20 years old stopped circulating overnight.
It's time to reform our heroes — in this regard, we must give reason to Associação Do Comércio Automóvel De Portugal (ACAP).
Because directing systematic attacks on the sector without supporting it will only further exacerbate the problem. They need rest, the environment, security and our wallet too. The economy thanks.