The government gave assurances this Wednesday that it could hire all drivers available on the market to lift restrictions on the green and yellow lines of the Metropolitano de Lisboa.
The guarantees were given this afternoon by Duarte Cordeiro, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the international open tender for the construction of the Ruby Line (H) of the Porto Metro.
“We have no other alternatives, not because of a lack of financial resources. At present, it is not easy to find affordable buses to reinforce these lines, which need more mobility and free drivers. We are ready to hire whatever is available.” , the governor said.
Restrictions on the Green and Yellow Lines began on 15 April, while traffic on the sections between Telheiras and Campo Grande (Green Line) and Campo Grande and Cidade Universitária (Yellow Line) was halted on 2 May. back to normal July 8th.
Traffic restrictions on the Lisbon metro have been repeatedly criticized by users, mayors and environmentalists.
“It is impossible not to disrupt the work on the Metropolitano de Lisbon, because we are talking about the overlap of two lines. When we overlay a green line on a yellow line, we should automatically interrupt part of the green line and part of the yellow line. lines to be able to overlap,” he explained, assuring that “everything will be done to ensure that this work is done quickly.”
The statements by the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action came on the same day that Metropolitano de Lisboa (ML) Chairman Vítor Dominguez announced at a press conference some measures to ease restrictions on the Green and Yellow Lines. .
From June 20, the Lisbon Metro’s Green Line will be reinforced with three more cars and the Yellow Line with one more, according to the ML president, to minimize the impact of network expansion work.
Currently, traffic on the Green Line and on the Odivelas – Campo Grande section of the Yellow Line is carried out by only three cars, and under normal conditions – six.
Despite this reinforcement, the sections between Telheiras – Campo Grande and Campo Grande – Cidade Universitária will remain closed until 7 July. The hiatus began on 2 May due to expansion work.
As of 6:30 am on July 8, normal traffic is expected to resume along the entire length of the Green and Yellow lines.
The ML administration also announced that it will provide buses between Cidade Universitária and Campo Grande on Sporting match days (13 and 21 May), to Estádio José de Alvalade and Bênção das Fitas (20 May).
ML will also reinforce teams with its own staff at the Campo Grande station and elsewhere (where warranted) to help people move and passengers get on and off trains.
The work will allow the new Campo Grande viaducts to be connected to the current infrastructure, allowing for the commissioning of the already announced new ring line in the future. “New switches and crossings” will also be installed to provide new links between covered stations.
It is planned to open in 2024 a new ring line that will connect the Rato station with Cais do Sodre, with a length of more than two kilometers of the network, creating a ring in the center of Lisbon and interfaces that combine and integrate different modes of transport. .
Metropolitano de Lisboa operates daily on four lines: yellow (Rato Odivelas), green (Telleiras-Cais do Sodre), blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolonia) and red (San Sebastian Airport).
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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