Livre “pedalada” believes that in the absence of the streets, the left “can turn the elections around.”

This Wednesday, a delegation from Livre cycled through the streets of Lisbon as part of the party’s traditional election campaign, believing that the left “could turn the tide of the legislative elections” on Sunday.

Since 2014, Livre has marked the final stage of its election campaign with a “pedal”. This Wednesday the journey began in Alameda D. Afonso Henriques, next to Almirante Reis, in Lisbon, where the representative of Livre defended the idea that it is “perfectly possible” for a citizen to move around the streets of the capital Lisbon on bicycles. namely the Gira Civil Service.

The Lisbon city councilor also took the opportunity to criticize the executive led by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, saying that “the bike network needs to be more interconnected” and that there should be “more dock networks”, that is, places where these bikes are picked up or left for storage.

On the day of the campaign dedicated to mobility and transport, user Rui Tavares even complained about the absence of one of these networks in São Bento, next to the Assembly of the Republic, saying that it was planned but never saw the light of day.

“Gone are the days when everyone in Lisbon was afraid to ride a bike,” defended Tavares, insisting that such a mode of transportation is possible, despite the fact that the capital is nicknamed the city of seven hills and is far from flat.

Livre rejects “culture wars between motorists and cyclists which are completely futile and which are sometimes used to create more noise than to solve problems”, arguing in favor of “more choice” in mobility in the country’s cities.

When asked whether it would be easier to apply such measures if Socialist Secretary General Pedro Nuno Santos was elected prime minister, Rui Tavares smiled and said: “These measures will be easier to apply if a parliamentary group is created in Livre, the bigger the better.” in the Assembly of the Republic, if Livre really has a decisive voice in the government.”

In the final stage of the campaign, Tavares guarantees energy “because the left can turn the tide of this election” and win it.

In its election platform, the party proposes reducing the maximum speed limit in urban areas to 30 kilometers per hour, “motivating a design of public space that prioritizes public transport, pedestrians and the use of bicycles as a mode of transport in urban areas.”

Advocating the use of bicycles as a means of daily transport is not just a “slogan” at Livre, where several participants talk about their daily experiences.

One of them is Carlos Teixeira, “number six” in the Lisbon constituency and a biologist who has established himself as an enthusiast of public bicycles to complement his daily commute.

“More bikes, more stations and more efficient services are needed. They have suffered a lot of wear and tear since free travel in the Lisbon metropolitan area began allowing access to Gira,” he warned.

Francisco Costa, a member of Livre since 2021, called himself “the dad of Uber, but on a bike.” With two small seats next to the main saddle, Francisco said he transports his children to and from school using this vehicle every day.

“We don’t want to force this, but simply to show that you can live with less carbon emissions and less stress from traffic,” he said.

To the sound of bells and chants of “Present, Future, Free, Free, Free,” it took the delegation of about forty people about half an hour to reach Terreiro do Paço.

It was here that Rui Tavares left an encouraging message for the supporters present, defining this campaign event as “a moment to rejuvenate, see the river, breathe fresh air and get a smile on your face” in the final days of the campaign.

“From now until Sunday, until Friday, the campaign, Saturday reflections and Sunday actions on the path of progress and ecology for our country,” he exclaimed.