City Council’s Decision on Tourism Vehicle Restrictions
Rui Moreira, the President of the Porto City Council, emphasized the necessity of extending traffic restriction measures to all operators following a recent court decision. “From the moment the court makes this decision, we have to allow these measures to be expanded to all operators. No one would understand if operators who were less fortunate or who did not act against the council were excluded from these measures,” he stated.
Pilot Project on Vehicle Restrictions
The discussion revolves around a pilot project initiated on October 1, 2024, aimed at restricting the circulation of tourist vehicles in downtown Porto. Under this project, only one tourist train and ‘hop-on, hop-off’ double-decker buses were permitted to operate within a designated area in the city center, based on municipal licenses. However, other vehicles such as tuk-tuks and occasional service tourist buses were banned from circulating in that area.
Court Ruling and Its Implications
The Administrative Court of Porto accepted an injunction filed by 12 tourist operators against the municipality, leading to the suspension of restrictions in the historic center for these companies. Moreira noted that this was the first unfavorable decision for the municipality after five previous rulings had favored the council. “We weren’t expecting this outcome, especially since previous decisions were contrary,” he remarked, adding that the municipality plans to appeal, although the appeal will not have suspensive effects.
Future Measures and Adjustments
Despite the court’s decision being limited to the 12 companies involved, Moreira stated that this should not result in any monopoly within the city. He assured that “other measures” would be taken, although specific details had not yet been outlined. Possible adjustments might include restricting circulation on certain streets, limiting access on specific days or times, and designating parking and passenger pick-up/drop-off locations. “We have to start from scratch; we need to hit ‘reset’,” he added, indicating the need for discussions with municipal departments and the Municipal Police to address the ongoing traffic issues.
Impact of the Pilot Project
Reflecting on the pilot project, which has been underway for just over three months, Moreira noted that it had contributed to a “calm in traffic” and expressed concern that the court’s ruling could lead to “chaos.” He remarked, “From now on, anyone wanting to operate tuk-tuks can do so.”
Reactions from Operators
In the court’s decision, dated Tuesday and accessed by Lusa, the judge indicated that it was not possible to determine a significant public interest harm that would justify denying the injunction. The 12 companies sought to suspend the effectiveness of a competition for the allocation of five tourist circuit licenses, aiming to ensure their unrestricted operation within the restricted zone. Moreira confirmed that this competition would also be suspended.
Alex Dominguez Ramos, an administrator at WildBloom and one of the 12 operators with vehicles such as tuk-tuks and transfer vans, expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, stating that it “vindicates” the companies. He emphasized the irreparable damages caused and those that would occur without the ruling, saying, “We remain open to finding a solution because we know there are traffic problems, but I think a request for an apology from the council wouldn’t be out of place.