Lisbon’s parking control company EMEL decided to limit its night operations in the capital to the Carnide, Príncipe Real and Chiado neighbourhoods just one month after imposing the measure.
The company had decided to start monitoring these areas at night (until 11.30pm) in early August and only in the Carnide and Quinta da Luz areas, with several traffic wardens checking the area for vehicles without the resident parking sticker in exclusive areas for residents, or double parked, amongst other infractions.
Just two weeks later, EMEL’s night operations were extended to the Príncipe Real and Praça da Alegria neighbourhoods and, last week (September 2), to Chiado and São Paulo. Questioned by news agency Lusa, the parking control firm assured that the night operations would not take place in other Lisbon areas for now.
However, the same source said that the “monitoring activity can be progressively extended” to other areas, as the scarceness of parking spaces for residents “demands it”.
In the month of August alone, EMEL registered a total of 109 infractions in the Carnide and Quinta da Luz areas between 7pm and 11.30pm. In the Príncipe Real and Praça da Alegria neighbourhoods, there were 33 infractions during the same period.
In these areas EMEL began by developing several actions to raise awareness amongst residents and visitors of its night monitoring scheme, and only then began fining people. “These were very important actions, because the effects were immediate,” said the firm’s source.
