PS accuses Coins of wanting to “take gas” referendum on scooters

O PS today accused the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Coins (PSD), of presenting the proposal to suspend the shared scooters to “take gas” to the initiative for a local referendum, considering that this process caused him “very embarrassing”.

“ The presentation of this proposal comes at a time when some 20,000 Lisboners have endorsed a popular initiative to hold a local referendum on shared scooters. According to the PS, this calendar coincidence serves to remove gas from a process that caused a lot of embarrassment to the mayor ", said the socialist view, referring to the action promoted by Automobile Clube de Portugal (ACP).

The question is the proposal of Carlos Coins' governance (PSD), which leads the coalition executive PSD/CDS-PP/IL, for the suspension of shared trotinetes in the city, as it was approved today at a private meeting, with votes against the Free and IL, abstention of PS, BE and PCP and the favorable votes of PSD, CDS-PP, independents who are part of the leadership PSD/CDS-PP/IL and Arrivo, according to Lusa camariary sources.

In a statement sent after the meeting, the PS's verdict reinforced that the suspension of shared scooters “represents the recognition of the failure of Carlos Coins' policy and a typical example of its governance – erratic”.

“We have today a degraded system, with scooters on top of the walks, scattered across the streets, occupying the public space and creating obstacles to pedestrian accessibility. The problems of excessive occupation of pedestrians' walks and security are real, cannot be ignored and require a firm response. But in the face of this chaos, the only answer Carlos Coins found was to end the system. Prohibition is always easier than finding solutions”, criticized the PS, stating that the city continues without the regulation of smooth mobility, although announced in September 2022, without supervision and without security.

Regarding the abstaining vote, which enabled the proposal to be made possible, since the absolute majority of Coins [with the PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition and the integration of an elect of the Enough that has paraded from the party] failed with IL voting against, the councilwoman of PS Alexandra Leitão presented “the chronology of failure”

“ In 2023, Carlos Coins signed an agreement with the operators, ensuring that he had ‘resolved the problem’ of scooters in the city of Lisbon; almost three years later he went even further and started encouraging the use of scooters, including them in the Navegante pass; and a year later, prohibits them”, he summarized.

In affirming that the safety of pedestrians and people with reduced mobility “is an ineligible priority”, the PS stressed that the mayor, who has been in charge of the city for five years, “did nothing” to improve pedestrian accessibility and sinistrality, however “it is the same that, given his inability to regulate this sector, proposes his suspension, using these same foundations”.

“ The suspension of shared scooter services cannot mean abandoning the soft mobility policy in Lisbon,” he warned the socialist approach, recalling that it was with the PS executives that Lisbon created the network of shared bikes Gira and carried out “decisive investments” in the expansion of the cycling network.

Therefore, the PS argued that this restriction must be accompanied by “an urgent plan to strengthen the Gira network”, with more bicycles available, expansion of stations, efficient maintenance and investment in safe bike paths.

At the meeting, the Socialists questioned the management of Coins on how many sanctions were effectively applied in the framework of the monitoring of shared scooters, as well as how many non-compliances were formally communicated to operators, but did not obtain answers.

The PS also emphasized the vote against the proposal of Coins governance for ratification of the acceptance of the donation made by the Iberdrola Spain Foundation for the new ornamental lighting of the Paços do Concelho, which also had votes against Free, BE and PCP and the abstention of the Aquida.

Criticing the lack of transparency and the lack of prior evaluation of “potential conflicts of interest”, since the municipality has “contractual relations of tens of millions of euros” with the company Iberdrola, the socialist approach stressed that “the donation was accepted in 2023 by the mayor without having the competence to do so, which constitutes an illegality”.