This warning was conveyed by António Costa at the
commemorative session of the 75th anniversary of the Metropolitano de Lisboa,
in Terreiro do Paço, with the presence of the Mayor, Carlos Moedas, and the
Minister of the Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro.
Before the symbolic act of launching the public tender for
the extension of the red metro line, between the current station of São
Sebastião and the future terminal station of Alcântara, the executive leader
stressed the importance of meeting the deadlines inherent in the Recovery Plan
and Resilience (PRR).
“Under the scope and calendar of the PRR, this work is
either completed by midnight on December 31, 2026 or else we will have a
serious problem paying for this work. As we don't want any problems, we only
have one thing to do: Comply with this schedule”, he reinforced.
António Costa, who was mayor of Lisbon between 2007 and
2015, said that “it was always lagging behind” the existence of a metro service
in the western part of the city.
“There were understandable reasons for this, because it is
more difficult to work in an already consolidated urban center, it is more
difficult to overcome physical obstacles such as the Alcântara Valley and it is
more difficult to deal with complex geological realities such as the
hydrological subsoil”, he pointed out.
Afterwards, with Carlos Moedas listening to him, he emphasized this message: “Finally, by decision of the Government, the western part of the city will be served by the subway. It is this competition that we are launching here so that this work can be carried out within the scope and calendar of the PRR”.