Portimão is taking a tougher stance on bicycles and electric scooters riding in pedestrian-only areas.
This month, the municipal council has begun installing signs informing residents that these vehicles cannot circulate in areas reserved for pedestrians in Portimão and Alvor.
According to the council, the move aims to combat the increasing number of people travelling on bicycles and electric scooters in pedestrian areas, often at “high speeds,” creating unsafe conditions for people on foot.
Some of the affected areas are also part of the town’s accessible route network, designed to provide safe and comfortable mobility for all residents and visitors, including people with reduced mobility, elderly people and families with children.
By introducing the new signs, the municipality says it hopes to promote “safer coexistence between different types of mobility” and is urging users to respect traffic rules and use public spaces responsibly.
In Alvor, the signs will be placed at the entrances to boardwalks to alert users to the rules.
The local council also recalls that cyclists and scooter users must dismount and walk with their equipment when passing through pedestrian areas.
Just last week, Portugal’s GNR military police alerted that the number of accidents involving electric scooters has surged, with more than 1,900 accidents and 10 deaths recorded in the past seven years.
