The City Council will start taking new measures to regulate the activity of tuk-tuks in Lisbon, according to a statement on the municipality’s website.
The focus is on reducing the number of vehicles, mandatory licensing and, of course, stricter enforcement, taking into account a better balance between this type of tourist activity and the quality of urban mobility.
Criticized not only by the “alfacinhas” but also by those who visit the city on foot, the number of tuk-tuks in Lisbon is considered to be quite high, precisely because there are so many of them that they limit the mobility of people and vehicles, on the sidewalks and on the roads, respectively.
The new rules
At a meeting between the deputy mayor of Lisbon, Filipe Anacoreta Correia, and the PSP – Public Security Police, the situations that require the most attention were identified and proposals for better management and planning of urban space were made, and some conclusions were reached:
- identify zero tolerance zones for tuk-tuk parking;
- obligation for operators to obtain a license from the Lisbon City Council, so that they can park in the areas determined and legally allocated;
- 250 new parking spaces will be created specifically for licensed tuk-tuks;
- the Municipal Police, the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Lisbon Municipal Mobility and Parking Company (EMEL) will be in charge of the intensive supervision of this tourist activity;
- specific restrictions for electric vehicles in some areas of the city, in order to promote sustainability;
- professional training for tuk-tuk drivers.
It was also decided to half the number of licenses, bringing the number of vehicles licensed to park in public spaces from 1,000 to 500.
Carlos Moedas, mayor of Lisbon, believes that
It is essential to seek solutions to impose order and some discipline on this problem, with which the city has been struggling over the last few years. We’re also going to have to assume zero tolerance for some of the areas that have been heavily massacred by the unregulated presence of this type of vehicle. It’s also essential for the municipality to have the means to control the size of the operation in the city and, specifically, the maximum number of tuk-tuks that the city can support for circulation.”
The aim of these measures is to make the activity of tuk-tuks in Lisbon more orderly, which has been a growing problem in recent years.
The aim is also to improve mobility for all residents and visitors, reduce the impact of pollution and, of course, traffic congestion where this type of vehicle operates most frequently.
Onde te levam os tuk-tuks? Locais obrigatórios para se fazer a pé