A months-long transportation strike has begun in Coimbra and Aveiro: There may be disruption in bus services until December 31

A long-term partial strike that could affect public transport in the Coimbra and Aveiro regions of Portugal began on September 14.

The strike notice covering Busway Coimbra and Busway Ciraveiro employees will continue until December 31, 2026. During the strike, employees will be able to stop work during the first two and last four hours of their daily working hours, not the entire working day.

For this reason, the implementation is different from a classic daily transportation strike: it is possible to experience disruptions, especially in some morning and evening services, for the next three and a half months.

The strike will last from September 14 to December 31

The strike was called by STRUN — Sindicato dos Trabalhadores dos Transportes Rodoviários e Urbanos do Norte.

According to the official decision published by the Portuguese General Directorate of Labor Relations, DGERT, the strike:

It covers the period between September 14, 2026 and December 31, 2026.

However, it should not be interpreted as meaning that employees will go on strike for six fixed hours every day.

The official text states that the strike covers the first two and last four hours of the actual working time of each employee participating in the strike.

Therefore, which flights will be affected for passengers may vary depending on the employee's shift and the operating plan for that day.

Busway Coimbra and Ciraveiro are affected

Businesses covered by the strike notice include Busway Coimbra and Busway Ciraveiro.

Busway Coimbra, SIT at Região de Coimbra — Sistema Intermunicipal de It plays an important role in the operation of the Transportes network.

The SIT network forms the regional public transport system connecting 19 municipalities in the Coimbra region.

Therefore, the impact of the strike should not be considered limited to Coimbra city center only.

On the Ciraveiro side, there is a possibility of disruption in public transportation services used by passengers in the Aveiro region.

SIT officially warned passengers

SIT Região de Coimbra also issued a separate warning to passengers before the start of the strike.

In the statement made by Busway, it was stated that there may be disruptions in regular public transportation services due to the partial strike called by STRUN.

This statement is important; It does not mean that all flights will be cancelled.

Depending on the strike participation, employee shifts and the minimum services to be applied, some lines may operate normally, while some services may be delayed or canceled.

For this reason, especially passengers who go to work or school by bus should check the current flight information before the journey.

Minimum service will be applied for school buses

There is also an important area in which the government intervened regarding the strike: students' transportation to school.

In addition to passenger transportation, Busway Ciraveiro and Busway Coimbra also provide transportation of students from their place of residence to educational institutions.

The union initially tried to support alternative transportation opportunities in the region and the strike. He defended the view that it was not necessary to determine a special minimum service in advance, citing the scope of the service.

The companies opposed it.

When no agreement was reached on minimum services during the meeting between the parties, the decision was taken by the relevant government units.

According to the official decision, the minimum services required for school transportation must be provided.

The reason for this is to protect students' right to transportation and education.

This does not mean that all school buses will operate normally

The minimum service decision does not completely eliminate the impact of the strike.

The purpose of the decision is not to fully maintain all public transportation services in the normal period, but to protect school transportation, which is considered indispensable, at the necessary level.

Therefore, passengers should not conclude that "there is minimum service, all buses will operate normally."

There may be disruption in normal scheduled passenger transportation due to the strike.

What should passengers do?

Since the strike period is quite long, it is important for those who regularly use public transportation in the Coimbra and Aveiro region to follow the current announcements, especially during morning and evening journeys.

In the Coimbra region, SIT publishes route and service changes through its own announcement system.

Although the strike was declared until December 31, this does not mean that the same number of flights will be canceled every day for nearly four months.

Actual The impact will vary depending on strike participation, shifts, lines and minimum service enforcement.

For this reason, it is the safest option for passengers who will go to work, school, a medical appointment or any other critical place by public transportation to check the current status of their line before departure.

Resources

DGERT — Direção-Geral do Emprego e das Relações de Trabalho, 10 September 2026

https://www.dgert.gov.pt/despacho-sm-n-o-50-10-09-busway-ciraveiros-a-e-busway-coimbra-sa-greve-de-14-set-a-31-dez

SIT Região de Coimbra — 10 September 2026

https://sit-regiaodecoimbra.pt/category/avisos/