AN EMEL traffic warden was punched by a motorist whose car had been clamped under Lisbon’s new get tough parking rules.
Lisbon Câmara’s parking enforcement company Empresa Municipal de Estacionamento de Lisboa (EMEL), was given sweeping new powers last Monday to fine or clamp badly parked and double parked cars in larger areas of the city.
“There have been one or two hostile reactions, including a member of staff who was punched by a motorist. There were also three cases in which motorists climbed onto their vehicles so they couldn’t be towed away,” said Caetano Gomes, an officer for the company’s administration.
In the last few days, EMEL has been fining owners of cars that overstay their limit at parking meters, have been parking on pavements, double parked, blocking accesses and have been parked in a way that may cause danger or a nuisance to other cars.
“Drivers’ reactions are not always the most cordial, but then it’s always like that and different people have different reactions. Sometimes they are against the measure, but when it is explained that the measure is to improve traffic circulation they usually come round,” said the officer.
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