“Never in a council meeting or any meeting did we receive any information or did anyone inform us about any problem with the Glória elevator. If there is prior knowledge or someone had this knowledge, we need to know where it was because it never reached us,” said Carlos Moedas (PSD) during the Lisbon Municipal Assembly meeting.
The PSD mayor was responding to PCP municipal deputy Natacha Amaro, who questioned what action Carris’s administration took regarding reports from workers about “signs of anomalies” in the operation of the Glória elevator.
Carlos Moedas assured that the council had no information in this regard as it was never received, “neither through councilors, nor through people who attended the council meeting, nor here in the Municipal Assembly, nor the vice-president in his various meetings with many of the workers.”
Natacha Amaro also inquired whether the maintenance and inspection protocols of the Glória elevator are “suitable for the significant change in the pattern of demand and usage,” resulting from the increase in tourism in Lisbon, particularly over the last two decades.
In response, Carlos Moedas stated, “the numbers do not show” an increase in passengers due to tourism, thus “it is not true,” indicating that in 2019 there were 972,000 users and in 2024, there were 872,000, “that is, 100,000 fewer.”
“There was no increase or higher load that grew every year because there were more tourists. That’s not true. The numbers do not reflect that,” he explained.
The mayor emphasized the critical mission of understanding what happened in the accident with the Glória elevator, allowing independent investigation to proceed, while also defending Carris workers, stressing “the company’s hallmark has been safety.”
“We must have absolute certainty of the safety of these elevators,” pointed out the Social Democrat, recalling the decision to immediately suspend the operation of all city elevators until they undergo an inspection to ensure their safety.
Carlos Moedas also mentioned that the council is working to get the Glória elevator operational again with a new technological safety mechanism.
The Glória elevator derailed on Wednesday, causing 16 deaths and dozens of injuries, among both Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities.
