Tuk-tuk companies interfers precautionary action against restrictions in Porto

Twelve tuk-tuk companies will interfere with a precautionary action against restrictions on the circulation of tricycles and quads announced on Wednesday by the Porto Chamber. The firms admit to working with vehicles of other typologies.

« What the House intends to regular is not a vehicle category, as it is written on the plate, is specifically for us, » said a sector entrepreneur and spokesman for 12 companies that successfully interposed a precautionary action in the past against restrictions announced by the Porto Chamber.

« And therefore it is a way of trying to regulate what the court has forbade them to do, which is to regulate our activity, and they, otherwise disguised, are trying to regulate it, » added Alex Ramos, quoted by the Lusa agency.

Given the new position of the autarchy led by independent Rui Moreira, which on Wednesday announced that it would cut traffic to tricycles and quads (where the ‘tuk-tuks’) in nine streets of the historic center, entrepreneurs will advance with new precautionary action.

The official adds: “Let’s move on once again to a lawsuit, and we give note, as we have already given in the media before, that quadricycles and tricycles are not only ‘tuk-tuks’, they are the CTT microcarrs or, for example, the older people who do not have the driving license” of light.

Alex Ramos says that entrepreneurs will eventually « have to prove that, in a disguised way, regardless of whether they are using legislation that allows certain vehicles, there is no reason to justify reasonableness. »

« They will not be able to prove, I say, that this category of vehicles causes more inconvenience or more traffic, in a reasonable way, than another type of vehicles, » he said.

Entrepreneurs also admit to using vehicles of other typologies in their activity, such as nine-seat vans or jeeps, even if the experience for tourists is not the same as in tuk-tuks.

The measure of the Porto Chamber, which comes into force on Monday, contemplates “The Largo dos Loios, the streets of Trindade Coelho, Mouzinho da Silveira, Ribeira Negra, Infante D. Henrique, Fernandes Tomás and Formosa, as well as Almeida Garrett Square and the Ribeira Tunnel”, in the historic center.