"We will soon launch a project [...] so that people can use the [Navegante] pass without paying for parking in some parks that are further out from the city centre", said the social democrat mayor.

Carlos Moedas was speaking during a visit to the construction site of a municipal underground car park in Entrecampos, budgeted at 16 million euros and which is part of the Armed Forces land development operation.

The Armed Forces land development operation includes the construction of 476 affordable rental homes, as well as the creation of green spaces and local shops.

Regarding the car park, with 576 spaces, Carlos Moedas said that it will increase the supply of public parking in the area "not only to serve the residents", but also to "dissuade people from taking their cars to the city centre".

However, according to the mayor, this car park will not be one of those that could be used free of charge by Navegante pass holders.

But, he said, this could be the case for the car parks being built in Pontinha and Telheiras, which are dissuasive car parks "in the sense that people pay little" to park and do not take their cars to the city centre.

"We are here creating some ideas to develop and to have more parking for those who want to be in the city and then use public transport within the city. I think that is what we are moving towards, a green city, carbon neutral [...]. Therefore, we have to have these solutions so that cars are parked and do not create traffic in the middle of the city", he explained.

The mayor also mentioned that the affordable rent project in Entrecampos includes "a total of 476 flats, with an investment of almost 100 million euros", with two buildings already completed and another due to be finished by the end of the year.

"This is mainly housing for people who already live here, teachers and nurses, people who can no longer afford to live in the city, with affordable rents of 200 and 300 euros, many of them rents for those who can afford to pay, but cannot pay much and, above all, market prices", said Carlos Moedas, also highlighting the existence of rents for those who "cannot afford to pay at all and who pay 10, 15 or 50 euros".

According to a source from the council, there are currently five dissuasive car parks in the city, namely Ameixoeira (489 spaces), Telheiras Poente (155 spaces), Telheiras Nascente (106 spaces), Avenida de Pádua (248 spaces) and Colégio Militar (415 spaces).

According to the same source, the Pontinha Sul (387 spaces) and Azinhaga da Cidade (165 spaces) car parks will open later this year.

Read Also: Plano Metropolitano de Mobilidade avança mesmo sem decisão sobre aeroporto (Portuguese version)