Public Transport Sees Steady Demand
The Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) released updated transport figures for the first quarter of 2025. These include data on land, air, and sea transport, as well as vehicle registration and road safety. In public transport, bus services carried 6.6 million passengers between January and March. Of these, 4.1 million used urban lines and 2.4 million travelled on interurban routes.
Cable Car Revenue At €4.2 Million
Cable cars in the region were used by over 316,800 people, a 3.6% rise compared to early 2024. Revenue from cable car services grew by about 8%, reaching around €4.2 million.
More Cars on the Roads, Including Electric Ones
Between January and March 2025, 4,036 used vehicles were registered in Madeira, mostly passenger cars. This was 7.4% more than during the same period in 2024. Additionally, 1,359 new cars were bought - an increase of 1.2%.The full-year data for 2024 showed a 14% increase in the number of electric vehicles (fully electric and plug-in hybrids) acquired by residents, totalling 2,298 units. While fully electric car purchases dropped by 3.2%, plug-in hybrids increased by 25.6%, especially those running on gasoline or diesel.
Road Accidents and Injuries Rise
According to provisional data from the Madeira branch of the Public Security Police (PSP), 922 road accidents were reported in the first quarter - that is nearly 10% more accidents than in the same period of 2024. These accidents caused 294 injuries and deaths: 274 people were slightly injured, 17 were seriously injured, and 3 died. Throughout the entire last year, 12 people died in road accidents.
Madeira recorded around 1,142,100 passengers in the first quarter of 2025, which represents a year-on-year increase of 6.7%.
Over One Million Air Passengers, but Less Cargo
Airports in Madeira processed more than 1.14 million passengers in the first three months of 2025, a 6.7% increase from the same period the year before. The Madeira Airport handled the majority, with a 7.1% rise. Porto Santo Airport saw a decrease of 6.7%. The average plane occupancy rate across both airports was 82.3%, slightly below the 84.5% seen in early 2024.
Cruise Tourism Grows, But Porto Santo Ferry Use Declines
Sea transport also saw growth. 105 cruise ships were docking in Funchal in the first quarter of 2025, 28 more than last year. The number of cruise passengers in transit reached 258,880, up by 16.5%. Most cruise passengers (96%) were from Europe. The largest group was German (47.5%),
Source: DREM
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