The CDU is calling for the “immediate suspension” of parking meters installed in the industrial zone of Porto. He believes that paid parking in this busy work-related area “will not solve the problem of parking or traffic flow, but will be another hit in the pockets of workers in the area.”
The CDU’s proposed recommendation for the Porto City Council’s executive meeting, scheduled for Monday, states that the municipality “does not value parking meters as a tool for regulating parking, much less as a tool that is part of a mobility policy.” He adds that “parking meters currently transfer millions of euros each year from the pockets of motorists into municipal coffers and into dealership profits.” He recalls that in 2015, the provision of paid parking in the industrial zone of Porto was “refused due to strong opposition from the workers of the companies located there” and states that parking on public roads there is “mainly used by workers in the same companies.”
This measure of the Municipality of Porto is being challenged in an online petition, which has already been signed by 1,840 people this Friday. “We remember that the majority of cars parked on these roads belong to people who go to work, not to walk or go to the shops. The argument that there is a subway nearby is unfounded in most cases. Many users in this area come from outside Porto, there are people from Guimarães, Braga, Marco de Canaveses, Vizela, Barcelos, Santo Tirso… It is by no means fair that you have to pay for parking to get to work. It’s getting more and more compressed, taxes are getting higher, how can we have another monthly payment?” he asks.
Earlier this month, the municipality of Porto painted the planned parking spaces on the asphalt and installed parking meters. A note published on the Porto.pt website states that “Porto City Council will create parking for a limited period in the industrial area, namely on Fontes Pereira de Melo and Ruas Eng Avenues. Ferreira Dias and Manuel Pinto de Azevedo.” He adds that “with the introduction of new limited duration parking zones, the council is significantly increasing the number of parking spaces to streamline and regulate parking in this area of the city, promoting better management of public space.”
“The correct use of these spaces, occupying them exclusively for their intended purpose and releasing them as quickly as possible for the next user, aims to ensure greater turnover in parking lots, especially near commercial areas and services. This measure also reduces parking abuses on public roads by eliminating second-row parking, improving traffic flow and preventing dangerous situations for pedestrians.
Author: Manuel Jorge Bento
Source: CM Jornal
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