The question of the profitability of the ferry between Madeira and the mainland has been used as an argument to justify its closure or service reduction, which the article considers an absurd reasoning when applied to essential services.
The author uses analogies to question this logic: a hospital or a road does not cease to be necessary simply because it doesn't generate profit, so the same should apply to the maritime connection with Madeira.
The article argues that the region's insularity creates a dependence on this transport that does not exist in other contexts, making it a fundamental public service for residents, and not merely a commercial matter.
The author concludes that the debate about the ferry should not be closed with the simple argument of "non-profitability," as the issue is broader and involves basic rights of Madeiran citizens.
