"The way in which the works of this project are being carried out presents a series of flaws, failing to safeguard the minimisation of its negative impacts and even putting at risk the safety of those who, on foot or in any type of vehicle, have to circulate through the streets being worked on", highlights the report of the Working Group for Monitoring Public Transport Investments, created on 19 February in the Municipal Assembly of Porto, at the proposal of the CDU, published on the municipality's website.

This document, which was sent to the president of Metro do Porto, to the mayor of Porto and to the members of the Municipal Assembly of Porto, considers that works of this dimension always cause inconvenience, which should be minimised by those responsible for the project, something that is not happening.

Among the problems identified, which in addition to being described in the report are accompanied by photographs, are the spaces reserved for pedestrian circulation.

According to the document, with the intervention on the pavements of various sections of Avenida da Boavista, there was no care taken to ensure the comfort and safety of pedestrians in the alternative circulation spaces.

Most of the alternative pedestrian crossings have a dirt/gravel pavement that turns into mud with the rain, in addition to the fact that many of them have an irregular pavement making it difficult for people with reduced mobility or with baby strollers to cross, it adds.

Therefore, the working group recommends the provisional paving of these places with bituminous or the placement of non-slip metal plates, as well as the elimination of access differences with the placement of ramps.

In addition, the report states that some of the alternative pavements created for pedestrians are "too narrow", which makes it difficult in many areas for two pedestrians to cross in front of each other, and others have irregular transverse profiles due to the permanent movement of the bays (metal protection nets of the works and/or barriers/pins separating the pavements and the carriageways).

Reason why the report, written by the leader of the Municipal Group of the CDU, Rui Sá, suggests the widening and improvement of the provisional pavements.

Another issue raised in the document is related to the lack of signalling in the spaces reserved for car traffic, namely the "lack of care" in updating/placing vertical signalling in situations where the horizontal remains the original.

"These situations, in addition to the confusion they generate in traffic (already difficult due to the works), are likely to cause road accidents whose responsibility will be difficult to determine", emphasises the report.

The document also highlights that there are provisional bus stops on Avenida da Boavista that do not meet minimum comfort and safety rules.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT, aka Porto's 'metrobus') will be a green hydrogen bus that will circulate on a dedicated lane on Avenida da Boavista and in coexistence with cars on Avenida Marechal Gomes da Costa, with service operated by Sociedade de Transportes Coletivos do Porto (STCP).

Leia Também: Porto. Obra do metrobus corta acesso da Boavista à António José da Costa (Portuguese version)