Carlos Moedas expresses concern about the WYD mobility plan and guarantees “full assistance” to the government.

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas (PSD) on Tuesday expressed concern about the World Youth Day (WYD) mobility plan, which is the responsibility of the government, providing “full assistance” to the municipality in this area.

“We are obviously worried. We need a government mobility plan that doesn’t exist yet, but we’re here to work with the government. We helped in everything,” said Carlos Moedas at a meeting of the Lisbon Municipal Assembly to present the work of the chamber in April and May.

Considered the biggest event of the Catholic Church, WYD will take place this year in Lisbon from August 1st to 6th, and around 1.5 million people are expected.

“There are 42 days left until the meeting with Pope Francis. This will be the event of our lives, do not doubt it. One million people in Lisbon will be the biggest event of our lives. There has never been another event like this”, supported the mayor, pointing out that WYD wants to go beyond religion, “it wants to unite all young people to think about the future of humanity in Lisbon”.

Regarding the preparations for the event, Carlos Moedas assured: “On the part of the Lisbon City Council, we are ready. On the part of the Lisbon City Council, we have done everything we had to do.”

Praising the work of Deputy Mayor Filipe Anacoret Correia (CDS-PP), who led the city’s preparations for the WYD, the Social Democrat stressed the importance of building Tagus Park on land that used to be a sanitary dump. , in the parish of Parque das Nações, which will remain in the city after the event as the “largest green park” in Lisbon with 34 hectares of green space.

In response to questions from BE MP Vasco Barata, the deputy mayor reiterated his concern about the mobility plan for WYD, which has not yet been presented by the government, and stated that the municipality is working with the national security authorities in this direction.

Deputy Angelique da Teresa of the Liberal Initiative (IL) asked the executive about the plan for urban hygiene, to which the mayor said that this waste collection work would be provided by municipal services, “with much help from parish councils”, except ” hiring 300 people for 20 days.

Natasha Amaro of the PCR expressed concern about the lack of “deeper and more coherent” information on the WYD, which includes initiatives in Parque Tejo, Parque Eduardo VII, Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, Parque da Bela Vista and Terreiro do Paso, finding the inability to create dynamic plans incomprehensible , namely in the areas of health and mobility, for which the government is responsible, and advocating that “it is important to promote a climate of trust”.

Carlos Moedas said the WYD is an opportunity to strengthen and invest in municipal services, including urban hygiene, which saw the purchase of six new sweepers and “12,000 new containers expected in the city” and two new places to support waste collection , one near Parque das Nações and the other next to Parque Eduardo VII.

The mayor stressed the need to work in coordination with the government and the Catholic Church, but noted that “in the end, for everything that happens these days”, the mayor will be responsible for what happened in the city. .

PSD municipal group leader Louis Newton asked “how is it possible that a mobility plan hasn’t been decided yet”, arguing that more pressure needs to be put on what the municipal executive is doing with the government to “avoid some social panic” because the idea of ​​closing Eixo Norte-Sul for bus parking is “not planned”.