Imagine a major European bus company being locked out of a country's most crucial transportation hub, costing them millions and leaving passengers stranded in subpar conditions. This is the reality for FlixBus in Portugal, where a contentious blockade at Lisbon's Sete Rios terminal has sparked a heated debate about fair competition and consumer choice.
FlixBus, the German transportation giant that entered the Portuguese market in 2017, is facing a staggering €12.5 million in projected losses by 2024 due to its inability to access the Sete Rios terminal (https://www.terminal7rios.pt/). This figure, revealed by Pablo Pastega, FlixBus' General Manager in Portugal and Vice President for Western Europe, during a press conference in Lisbon, represents a significant 15% dent in the company's €90.6 million turnover from the previous year. Pastega didn't mince words, labeling the situation an “illegal blockade” and accusing Rede Expressos of maintaining a monopoly that harms both FlixBus and its customers.
But here's where it gets controversial: In 2023, FlixBus filed a formal complaint with Portugal's Mobility and Transport Authority (AMT: https://www.amt-autoridade.pt/), alleging that Rede Nacional de Expressos (https://rede-expressos.pt/pt), the operator of the Sete Rios terminal, was unfairly denying them access. The AMT sided with FlixBus, ruling in May that the terminal had available capacity and that all operators should be granted fair and non-discriminatory access. The regulator emphasized that denying access would constitute an administrative offense. Despite this ruling, FlixBus claims that Rede Expressos continues to block their entry, while simultaneously expanding its own services in terminals like Caldas da Rainha (Leiria district) and Fátima (Santarém).
And this is the part most people miss: Lisbon stands alone among European capitals in denying FlixBus access to its primary terminal. This anomaly has left the company, which operates across Europe, the United States, and Asia, perplexed and frustrated. “If we have to escalate this to the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Union to enforce the AMT's decision, we will,” Pastega stated firmly, urging Portuguese authorities to intervene.
To draw attention to the issue, FlixBus organized a symbolic protest on November 6, gathering around fifty supporters dressed in the company's colors and carrying luggage at Sete Rios, advocating for free mobility. Looking ahead, FlixBus remains committed to expanding its network in Portugal, particularly beyond the Lisbon-Coimbra-Porto corridor. The company is already introducing new routes to previously underserved destinations like Vila do Conde (Porto) and Mealhada (Aveiro), made possible by the market's opening to competition in late 2019. A major milestone for 2026 includes a significant expansion in Leiria, where a new public terminal will enable FlixBus to nearly triple its operations.
Here's the million-dollar question: Is the ongoing blockade at Sete Rios a justified business strategy by Rede Expressos, or a blatant violation of fair competition principles? Should FlixBus pursue legal action at the European level, or can Portuguese authorities resolve this dispute domestically? Weigh in below—your perspective could shed new light on this complex issue. As Pablo Pastega aptly put it, 'With Sete Rios, we have more options for growth. At the moment, our growth capacities are limited.' The ball is now in the court of regulators, competitors, and the public to determine what comes next.
