“Our main objective is that cars do not enter Lisbon, that is, to reduce the number of cars in Lisbon. It is a city of 540 thousand inhabitants, but every day 360 thousand cars enter the city and, to achieve this, from the beginning we said that it was necessary to get people to leave their cars so they could take public transport”, said the mayor from Lisbon.

Carlos Moedas was speaking to Lusa after unveiling the Parque Navegante sign in the parking lot already located at the Colégio Militar, which has 415 spaces.

Also this Wednesday, two other car parks from the Lisbon Mobility and Parking Company (EMEL) will become available in this modality, in Ameixoeira and Avenida de Pádua (Olivais), and it is expected that in September the list will include three more parks — two in Telheiras and, later, the one in Azinhaga da Cidade (Ameixoeira).

Carlos Moedas recalled that the city of Lisbon is “one of the few in Europe” that has free public transport “for the young and the old” and that the aim is “a more sustainable city, with fewer cars”.

“This has to be done gradually and not pitting one against the other”, said the social democrat, recalling the objectives of having Lisbon as a carbon-neutral city by 2030 and the 'contract' signed with the European Commission within the scope of the 100 carbon-neutral mission cities in Europe (in this case, the target has a limit of 2050).

The process for using the Navegante public transport pass in the first three available EMEL parks involves validation at the cabin/reception of the respective park and, from there, access is activated. Parking is available between 7:30 am and 9 pm.

The Ameixoeira Park has 489 spaces and the Avenida de Pádua Park has 248 spaces, while the one in Telheiras Poente has 155 and the one in Telheiras Nascente has 106.

According to a city council source, the Azinhaga da Cidade Park (165 spaces) will open later this year.