“What we have seen is that there is a growing lack of respect for signage and so-called passive traffic management measures and, for this reason, on our part what we are seeking is to change this matter,” said the mayor.

As an example, Pinto de Sá alluded to the installation of “physical obstacles that lead to a reduction in speed and that force cars not to park on the sidewalk” or the creation of “raised crosswalks when possible” and “narrower roads ”.

“What experience shows us, at this moment, is that signage is usually disrespected and, therefore, we have to have other types of solutions”, he explained.

Évora also has “a medium and long-term Sustainable Mobility Plan”, for which consensus was reached between the various political forces, indicated the mayor.

This plan makes it possible to “make a set of changes” in terms of roads, “not only in urban areas, but also in the municipal road network”, he said.

The mayor recalled, however, that there is “a problem that is known”, which is the lack of funds to intervene in the municipal road network.

“For decades, at least 15 years, there have been no funds from the European Union for the various networks. The idea was created that Portugal already had the road network problem resolved and no attention was paid to the municipal road network”, he said.

Therefore, he continued, “the municipalities have a very serious problem of difficulties in maintaining the municipal road network”.

The most recent data from the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) indicates that, in the first six months of this year, there were 17,154 accidents with victims that caused 214 fatalities, 1,184 serious injuries and 19,967 minor injuries.

ANSR compares the numbers with the same period in 2014, highlighting “the growing trend” in the last decade, in which accidents increased by 22%, fatalities by 3.4%, serious injuries by 26% and minor injuries by 18.9 %.