“We cannot tolerate one more death” event commemorates Pedro Sobral, killed cycling just before Christmas
Hundreds of cyclists in Lisbon took part today in an event to raise awareness of the trials faced by cyclists in and around the capital every day.
The death on December 21 of literary figure Pedro Sobral was a trigger tragedy for so many who risk death on Portugal’s roads due to the lack of consideration shown by so many drivers, and lack of security provided by public authorities.
Even as this event took place, another cyclist was killed in an accident involving a car in Arruda dos Vinhos today.
The “We cannot tolerate another death” circuit involved a 50 km stretch between Lisbon and Cascais (and back again), using the coastal Marginal road, and a 7 km run for younger cyclists, concentrated in Lisbon. The idea is to force authorities to act; create more in the way of cycle lanes (some of which have been promised for years, but never constructed).
Pedro Sobral’s death came on one such road, where a cycle path is long overdue, say fellow free wheelers.
One wrote to the Resident after Sobral’s death to stress that conditions on the Marginal “allow drivers to drive at excessive speeds”. There should be a speed trap “every kilometer, and a strictly enforced speed limit of 50 km/h”, he told us, as the road, and others in the area, “often resemble racetracks, with motorcyclists riding at full throttle, and with zero police presence.
“I have personally experienced cars overtaking me at speeds exceeding 160 km/h along the Cascais oceanfront. These conditions create a sense of lawlessness, and it is clear the authorities are failing in their duty to ensure safety on the roads“.
The driver involved in Sobral’s death turned himself in to police, in the company of his lawyer, some four hours later.
The incident is still under investigation.
