The Mayor of Funchal, Pedro Calado has announced that he is considering measures to end the ‘anti-social’ parking currently taking place on pavements and areas supposedly protected by yellow lines.
Using 31 de Janeiro e 5 de Outubro as examples, the Mayor said:
“Every day, especially after a day’s work, there are cars parked on the road. It is a lack of courtesy to other road users and pedestrians,” admitted the Mayor, when confronted by opposition party leader led by former Funchal Mayor, Miguel Silva Gouveia.
Responding to the criticisms, which also applied when the former Mayor was in power, Pedro Calado stressed that some of the abuses were due to Christmas, tourism vehicles, and other vehicles, especially as people are less inclined to walk into the city centre.
Furthermore, he added, he was studying ways of reducing the amount of parking congestion in the city centre, but refused to be drawn further when reporters queried his new proposals. All he did say was that the two roads would remain as they are both main arterial roads in and out of the city and neither was he going to transform them into ‘circulation routes.’ All he would say is that he has spoken to the Public Security Police asking them to be more proactive with traffic management in these areas.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
