Strikes, delays and complaints are increasingly the “daily bread” for public transport users in Lisbon, even more so when it seems that one of the most important stations in the capital will be closed for around eight months.
The journey and daily challenge for every passenger begins early in the morning with the constant delays on CP – Comboios de Portugal (I can confirm this because I use the suburban trains on the Azambuja Line every day, which have Santa Apolónia Station as their destination in the city) and, for those who take the Metropolitano de Lisboa, they are faced with even more delays and overcrowded carriages, even at this time of year.
On social networks and on the various complaints portals, such as Portal da Queixa or Perturbações.pt, there are reports of various movie-worthy “adventures” on the capital’s public transport, with special attention to the fact that there is a lack of information (poor communication of the constraints, after all, people just want to know the reasons for the delays), refunds and even strikes.
Just when you thought that the main transport companies were committed to improving the fluidity of their timetables, signaling systems and line modernization, in the middle of summer, the majority of users are still complaining.
Not to mention the enormous constraints that the work on the Circular Line is causing all public transport users on the routes closest to the River Tagus.
And, in the case of suburban trains, how often do they get cut? Without anyone explaining the reasons why!
And what about the electronic information panels that show how long it is until the next metro passes? Why are some of them simply switched off, leaving everyone in suspense and with that uncomfortable feeling of not knowing if any carriages will pass in the next few minutes?
Because people have schedules to keep, everyone does, even those on vacation, this kind of situation, without much reasonable explanation (which we believe exists, but which is very rarely communicated to users in good time) is leaving everyone at a loss, with their routines turned upside down.
The main highlights
CP – Comboios de Portugal tops the list of complaints, with around 45‰ of the complaints from rail passengers departing from the main stations in Greater Lisbon. Among the most common complaints are constant delays, cancellations and strikes.
In the case of the Metropolitano de Lisboa, in addition to the reports already mentioned, many of which we experience on a daily basis, there are various disruptions on practically all the lines, whether for technical reasons or for reasons beyond the company’s control.
Other complaints include the lack of trains (a reduced number passing through stations, especially at peak times) and, of course, the insufficient capacity of the carriages, which is far below what is minimally comfortable for any passenger, with users moving practically on top of each other.
Are there any solutions in sight?
So far, there has been very little communication or explanation from these companies to their users, except when there are strikes, which are communicated by the people who call them.
So, often, “pedaling” or taking an Uber (which are also becoming scarce, with ever-increasing waiting times) seem to be the most immediate solutions.
There are also alternatives from Carris, via buses, but we also know that these are often “bogged down” and have inefficient response times for a city like Lisbon.
We’re sure that all Lisboners remain optimistic about improvements in all these public transport constraints, but the feeling that hangs in the air is that there is less and less patience.
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