Proposed by PAN – People – Animals – Nature and Livre, arguing that “sidewalks are for the movement of people and not for parking vehicles”, the recommendation suggested that the council exercise its powers in terms of parking vehicles on the road and other public places, in compliance with the provisions of the Highway Code.

They propose to the municipal executive, under the leadership of Carlos Moedas (PSD), that it reverse the decision to authorise parking on sidewalks “immediately in the Restelo area and other locations in the municipality by the end of this term”.

This proposal was rejected with votes against from PSD, Aliança, MPT, CDS, and Chega, abstention from PS and IL, and votes in favor from BE, Livre, PEV, PCP, two deputies from Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by the coalition PS/Livre), PAN, PPM and PS deputy Pedro Roque.

Another point of the recommendation, which was also rejected, was for the council to exercise its supervisory powers in matters of parking on roads and public spaces, in order to prevent parking on sidewalks, crosswalks, and other locations that jeopardise safety and pedestrian circulation and that are under municipal jurisdiction.

At issue is the decision of the Belém Parish Council and the Lisbon City Council (CML) to install, since March 25, vertical signage in the streets Rua Dom Cristóvão da Gama, Rua Tristão da Cunha and Rua São Francisco Xavier, in the neighborhood do Restelo, to allow cars to be parked on sidewalks with two wheels, on both sides of the road.

The Belém Parish Council, chaired by Fernando Ribeiro Rosa (PSD), informed that the signage is part of a “provisional regularization that has now been implemented urgently due to the difficult parking conditions in the area”, asking vehicle drivers to “provide the necessary precautions and care to leave space (about 1.20 meters) for pedestrians to walk safely on sidewalks, especially those who use wheelchairs or push baby carriages”.