Right on the heels of the news that Lisbon was considered one of the cities not to visit in 2025, mainly due to the “excess” of tourists, the public transport company Carris has started testing separate queues for tourists and residents.
This is undoubtedly one of the solutions described in the report as a way of “easing” the discontent of the local communities, the neighborhoods, with this flood of visitors to the city.
But how will this measure be implemented? That’s what we’ll find out next.
Queues for tourists and queues for residents
We’re sure the tourists will understand, and the locals will be grateful. After all, some need transportation to get to work, while others use it to get between Lisbon’s tourist attractions. Let’s all at least be reasonable.
According to Carris, this measure aims to ensure that residents with regular passes don’t lose seats due to the large influx of tourists.
The first tests will be carried out on the Graça Funicular and, depending on the findings, could be expanded to other services where there is high demand.
How is it proceeding?
For now, and this is the best way Carris has found to separate some users from others, there will be a queue for those with monthly or regular passes, and another for tourists who buy occasional tickets.
Also under study is the way to enter these public transports, which could be alternated, so that there is the least “damage” to all users.
According to the Público newspaper, this measure will begin to have practical effects from next May, and ticket prices for tourists may also increase.
Before it can be put into practice, the proposal will still have to be approved by the Lisbon Municipal Assembly, something that will happen this February.
If successful, this could well be a model measure for balancing the needs of tourism and residents in the city, although, as with any proposal of this kind, it will still have to pass strict public scrutiny.