No More Pavement Invasion in Coimbra: Paid Concessions and Fixed Parking Requirements for Scooter Companies

While walking on the sidewalks, coming across abandoned scooters that have overturned at every corner, blocking building entrances or disabled ramps is a big problem in Coimbra, as it is throughout Portugal. The reactions initiated by the city's residents saying "enough is enough" finally forced the municipality to take a concrete step. The Municipality of Coimbra is moving to a brand new concession and licensing model for shared electric scooter and bicycle operators, who have been operating as they please until now. The Era of Free Use of the City is EndingMayor Ana Abrunhosa announced the new rules at Monday's council meeting, openly admitting the lack of control of the current situation. The most striking point in the new concession model is this: Giant operators such as Bolt and Bird will no longer be able to use Coimbra's streets for free. Companies will pay a regular fee to the municipality for using public space. This collected revenue will be directly transferred to the construction of special, reserved and physical parking areas that will ensure the order of the city. The municipality tried a compromise with virtual parking points and 128 new parking spaces in 2024, but the reality on the ground did not match the virtual maps; Vehicles continued to be left randomly. The People Say "End the System Without Stations", The Opposition Wants Strict Rules In July, Solum 15, ACAPO Coimbra and APRe! The signature campaign launched under the leadership of local associations such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached hundreds of people in a short time. The point of the campaign is not to oppose micromobility; To prevent these vehicles, which do not have a physical station, from being thrown randomly at pedestrian crossings, bus stops and building doors. Opposition council member Ana Bastos, on the other hand, is in favor of strict rules that work on the ground rather than a wholesale ban. Bastos argues that instead of completely expelling scooters from the city, heavy sanctions should be imposed on companies, clear penalty mechanisms should be introduced, and existing colored parking zones should be completely revised. It seems that Coimbra will soon put a clear stop to this period of freedom that turns the streets into abandoned vehicle scrapyards. Source: The Portugal News / Kate SreenarongImage Source: Unsplash (Etienne Girardet)