The PSD/Matosinhos demands the construction of "priority" lines and "new and urgent" investments in the Metro network in this municipality, in the district of Porto, which is why it requested a meeting with the company's board
In a statement, the president of the PSD/Porto council, Bruno Pereira, said that the São Mamede de Infesta line project, running from Senhora da Hora towards São João Hospital in Porto, which would culminate with the closure of the circular line around the city of Porto, was "successively overtaken" by other projects.
"In the future expansion projects of Metro do Porto, this line must be considered a priority, because in addition to the high population density and urban impact, it culminates with the closure of the circular lines around the city of Porto," he considered.
At a time when Metro do Porto is celebrating 20 years of commercial service, the social-democrat councillor asked for a meeting with the chairman of Metro's board of directors, Tiago Braga, to present him with an investment plan for the metro network in Matosinhos.
"Priority should be given to a line to the north of the municipality of Matosinhos, to Leça da Palmeira, which serves Exponor, the new residential areas which are in the pipeline and safeguard the future of whatever is to be built on the lands of Petrogal [former refinery], whether housing, business or services, also allowing access to bathing areas, via the metro", he said.
Bruno Pereira considered that this line, due to its strategic location "next to" Porto and with "unmatched" port, airport and road infrastructures, would "drastically" improve mobility in the Metropolitan Area of Porto (AMP), freeing up the "congested A28 and the roundabout Produtos Estrela".
In addition, the social democrat understood that Metro should not reduce expansion projects to a financial contingency, but diversify and prioritise dynamic solutions, correcting persistent structural imbalances, such as abolishing existing architectural barriers for people with reduced mobility, ensuring equal access to infrastructures and public places.
"They should also choose to carry out improvement and reformulation works on the metro network, which in some sections overlaps and conflicts with the road network, creating a harmful impact on mobility within the municipalities, as can easily be seen, for example, at the metro roundabouts at the exit of the A4 to Matosinhos (roundabout at Avenida da República), at the entrance to the Pedro Hispano Hospital or at the ESAD roundabout, close to NorteShopping", he underlined.
The PSD councillor pointed out that the fact that the metro is surface on these roundabouts causes an unnecessary mobility conflict, so in these places, the metro should be configured for short extensions of underground tunnels, low-cost projects, but with high impact on mobility within the municipality.
The priority to be established among the future lines of Metro do Porto will be "determined according to what is the financial envelope", said the president of the carrier, Tiago Braga, in an interview to Lusa, marking 20 years of commercial service.
Currently, the Yellow Line extension between Santo Ovídio and Vila d'Este (Vila Nova de Gaia), the construction of the Pink Line (São Bento - Casa da Música), and the Ruby Line (Santo Ovídio - Casa da Música) are under construction.
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