EMEL justifies the closure of parking lots in Lisbon due to the Taylor Swift concert with requests from PSP and Civil Protection

The closure of three Lisbon car parks until Sunday due to concerts by singer Taylor Swift has been determined by the Municipal Civil Protection and the PSP, EMEL – the Lisbon Municipal Parking and Mobility Company – announced on Tuesday.

“EMEL was informed through the Municipal Civil Protection of the need to provide parking spaces to support the Taylor Swift concert between 18 and 26 May,” the Luse municipal company said in a note.

Also according to EMEL, “this information dated May 17 was accompanied by the opinion of the PSP Traffic Directorate, which refers to the need to reserve places to create exclusion zones that allow the accommodation and safe management of crowds, as well as the introduction of traffic restrictions and isolation.”

Car parks at Colégio Militar, Cosme Damião and Avenida Lusíada are closed to the public until Sunday due to concerts by singer Taylor Swift, but users and traders complain of a lack of warnings and viable alternatives.

The North American singer’s “The Eras Tour” concerts will take place at the Estádio da Luz on Friday and Saturday, starting at 18:00.

In a note published on its website on Monday, EMEL said that the temporary closure began at 20:00 on Saturday in the Colégio Militar and Cosme Damião parks and at the same time on Monday in Avenida Lusíada.

“In accordance with the requirements of the PSP, EMEL proceeded to notify all users who have subscriptions to these parks on the same day,” the company said in a message sent to Lusa.

“Due to these restrictions imposed on EMEL and our subscribers, they have been offered an alternative to parking in the Alto dos Moinhos, Estrada da Luz, Tellheiras Nacente and Tellheiras Pointe parks as a way to mitigate the situation,” the company adds. in the note.

However, EMEL does not respond to Lusa’s question about whether the company intends to reimburse subscribers for additional costs incurred as a result of the closure of the parks.

Despite this announcement, Lusa had access to “emails” sent on Friday to subscribers of the Colégio Militar park, located next to the Colombo shopping center, which stated that it would be closed from 20:00 on Monday (48 hours after as stated in the EMEL note). ) and that the Cosme Damiao park (closed space) could be an alternative.

The message sent to subscribers the day before the restrictions began asked for “the speedy release of the car.”

For subscribers to gain access to Alto dos Moinhos, Estrada da Luz, Teleiras Nacente and Tellheiras Poente parks, simply identify yourself “at the time of access using your monthly subscription number,” the company explains on its website.

In the case of the Colégio Militar, he adds, the conditions are used “to collect and create bags for the thousands of spectators waiting to enter and who may arrive several days in advance.” The creation of these scholarships also justifies the closure of Cosme Damian Park.

Several traders and workers nearby were caught off guard Monday by the park’s closure, as was the case with Andrea Neto, a 34-year-old trader who told Lusa she “had an ’email’ from EMEL in ‘spam’.” [lixo de correio eletrónico]”, which she only read that day after she was banned from using the park.

“That’s what agreements are for, to reserve our spot, and at the moment we haven’t been given a solution: either we pay for parking or we need to take an Uber,” the trader criticized.

The owner of the beauty institute and school, Catarina Moreira, also criticized the closure of the park and the lack of alternatives.

“We pay a monthly fee and cannot use the park. I recently had surgery and I can’t leave my car far away and I have to walk the entire distance because the doctor told me not to and I have parking. right next to the park, an establishment I can’t use,” he said.

The trader said she would “complain and speak to a lawyer to obtain a refund of all amounts” she incurs for parking, “while paying the EMEL fee.”

Rua street building materials trader Dr João Couto Filipe Monteiro said the closure of the EMEL park was detrimental to employees and customers as he had “several agreements with EMEL for this park” and they were prevented from using it and alternatives were “almost per kilometer.”