Portimão council wants to “drastically reduce” the number of paid-parking spaces in the town in a bid to encourage consumers to shop locally.
The goal is to bring the number down from 716 paid spots to 152.
This was one of the promises made during the Socialist Party’s re-election campaign for Portimão town hall.
However, going through with the plan will involve financially compensating the concession companies that manage the town’s parking meters.
Speaking to Correio da Manhã tabloid, Portimão mayoress Isilda Gomes said the council does not know yet how much this will cost.
As she explained, paid parking has been one of the reasons why so many people stopped shopping in the centre of Portimão. It is hoped that more free parking spaces will mean the number of customers shopping in the once-popular “Rua das Lojas” will grow.
