PORTIMÃO CÂMARA has started a new scheme which offers passengers of the council’s Vai e Vem buses free reading books in a variety of languages for their journey.
The project has started with 11 of the 35 buses having a basket with books for passengers to pick up at the entrance and a basket to deposit the books at the exit.
Passengers may also keep the book and return it during another bus journey or hand it in to the Manuel Teixeira Gomes library in Mexilhoeira Grande.
The books are aimed at all tastes and age groups, with the buses which link Praia da Rocha and Alvor having English, German and French language books as well as Portuguese books.
Portimão Câmara President, Manuel da Luz, said: “The idea is to create an appetite for reading. Instead of people thinking about their worries, they can use the time to leaf through a book.”
He added: “It’s a simple gesture, but of great significance in a country where less than 18 per cent of the population are avid readers.”
For more information about this scheme, please telephone 282 470 700 or 282 969 210.
