The Coimbra House estimates that 70% of the parking paid on the public road is not fulfilled, with the revenue to record a trend of loss in recent years.
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16/10/2026
by
Lusa
A Câmara de Coimbra estimates that there is a non-compliance rate of about 70% in the public parking lot in the city, with the revenue to record a loss trend in recent years.
At today's executive meeting, in which the concession of parking on the public road was debated and voted, Councilman Luís Filipe, with the portfolio of the economy and legal, said that the municipality has been losing revenue in respect of parking money over the last three years.
According to the leader elected by the coalition Avançar Coimbra (PS/Free/PAN), the municipality recorded a revenue of 862,000 euros in 2023, 741 thousand euros in 2024, and 654 thousand euros in 2025, with the prospect of reaching the end of this year with a revenue of 550,000 euros (registered 371 thousand euros until September).
“ We are clearly in a decreasing trend to obtain revenue”, he noted, pointing out that, despite this loss of revenue, the number of parking spaces has been stable.
According to Luís Filipe, the municipality estimates that only 30% of the real parking lot is actually paid, stating that citizens, as a rule, do not respect parking areas.
“ We do not have enough resources to develop this operation,” he said.
The 15-year concession of a parking system on the public road covers 1,537 seats integrated in the parking areas of limited duration, seeking to ensure a technological and operational modernization of the system, with the future concessionaire being responsible for the installation of equipment and solutions that allow greater control and supervision.
Although it includes 1,537 seats, the perimeter covered may also include additional parking spaces subject to fee payments.
The basic price of the concession for the 15 years is EUR 10.8 million (ME), with a monthly minimum of EUR 60 thousand of revenue for the municipality (720 thousand euros per year), which corresponds to 45% of the estimated actual gross revenue.
The estimated turnover of the contract for the 15 years of concession is 24.395 ME.
The concessionaire's remuneration will result from the revenues obtained from the operation of the parking lot, while taking on the investments and charges necessary for the operation (including the installation of new equipment, sensors and other technological solutions).
In this sense, the competition, the interested parties will have to propose a percentage of gross revenue of not less than 45%, winning the highest percentage of gross revenue to be delivered to the municipality.
Ana Bastos, councilwoman elected by the coalition Together Somos Coimbra (led by the PSD), considered that the concession proposal presents “serious weaknesses and strategic options that mortgage the public and financial interest of the municipality for the next 15 years”.
The councilwoman defended a shorter concession period, the award criterion being linked only to the price, and an estimated financial dimension that raises “serious doubts”, namely that it is not supported by an economic-financial feasibility study demonstrating the actual costs of initial investment and the expected revenue.
The councilwoman recalled that in 2023, with manual supervision, the municipality registered a revenue of EUR 830,000 in one year, considering that the estimated revenue may be undersized and that the possibility of the system being implemented by the municipality itself and not by third parties should be considered.
“ The different scenarios and figures should be studied ", defended.
The mayor, Ana Abrunhosa, stated that the economic and financial study used for this purpose was one carried out in the context of the work of entrepreneurship of the Municipalized Services of Urban Transport of Coimbra (SMTUC), with these data to serve as the basis of the current proposal.