“To promote smoother traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and public transport accessibility, the circulation of light tricycles and quadricycles will be restricted on nine streets in the city’s downtown area,” an announcement stated.
The measure was initially reported in the newspaper Público and applies to “Largo dos Loios, the streets of Trindade Coelho, Mouzinho da Silveira, Ribeira Negra, Infante D. Henrique, Fernandes Tomás, and Formosa, as well as Praça de Almeida Garrett and the Ribeira Tunnel,” located in central Porto.
The criteria for these routes include “areas where traffic speed is reduced and accident rates are higher.”
The ban will take effect next Monday, according to the local government led by the independent Rui Moreira.
“The goal is to maintain the efficiency of urban mobility while ensuring the compatibility of tourism, quality of life for residents and city workers, and the operability of public transport and emergency services,” the statement noted.
The Porto City Council indicated that the measure “will not significantly impact economic activities, as the restriction is localized and does not prevent occasional tourist services demanded by tour operators.”
“It is believed that this strategy will contribute to improved urban mobility, reduce pressure on public spaces, and promote a safer and more sustainable environment,” it added, aligning “with the best traffic management practices adopted in benchmark cities.”
The Porto City Council acknowledged that “the growth of tourism activity and the diversification of modes of transport have posed challenges to public space management, requiring effective solutions to ensure a sustainable balance.”
The authority reiterated that “the absence of specific regulations for the circulation of ride-hailing vehicles, goods deliveries, and the proliferation of tourist transport has intensified negative impacts, exacerbating road congestion and harming urban life.”
The Porto City Council admitted that “the circulation of vehicles inappropriate for the functional characteristics of certain roadways has compromised the goals set out in the Municipal Master Plan, particularly regarding traffic flow, road safety, and environmental quality.”
“The prevailing legal framework allows for the implementation of regulations that temporarily or permanently restrict the traffic of certain categories of vehicles, provided the principles of reasonableness, proportionality, and equality are respected,” it stated.
On January 29, Rui Moreira announced the suspension of the restriction on tourist vehicles and occasional service buses in Porto’s historic center, which had been implemented in October following a decision by the Porto Administrative and Fiscal Court (TAF).
The issue concerned a pilot project launched on October 1, 2024, restricting tourist vehicle traffic in downtown and central Porto.
Only one tourist train and double-decker ‘hop-on, hop-off’ buses were allowed to circulate in a designated area in central Porto under municipal licenses. ‘Tuk-tuks’ and occasional service tourist buses were prohibited from circulating.
However, the TAF accepted a precautionary measure filed by 12 tour operators against the Porto municipality, leading to the suspension of the restrictions in the historic center for these companies.
