EMEL aims to have GIRA stations active in all parishes by the end of 2024. In Penha de França, the first two GIRA stations have been installed: one on Avenida General Roçadas, near EB Nuno Gonçalves; and the other on Largo Mendonça e Costa, near Rua Morais Soares.
GIRA is coming to the parish of Penha de França. Lisbon's bike-sharing network continues to expand, with EMEL aiming to have stations in all 24 of the city's parishes by the end of 2024. In Penha de França, the first two GIRA stations have been installed: one on Avenida General Roçadas, near EB Nuno Gonçalves; and the other on Largo Mendonça e Costa, near Rua Morais Soares. But there are still more stations planned in this parish.
No final da Avenida General Roçadas, junto ao Mercado de Sapadores, está a ser montada uma terceira estação. “Está ainda prevista uma outra estação na Parada do Alto de São João, que será instalada após as obras de requalificação da parada, que se encontram em curso”, informou a EMEL ao LPP. “Temos a previsão de que as três estações na Avenida General Roçadas e no Largo Mendonça e Costa, ficarão activas no mês de Junho.”
Entre a instalação das estações e a sua abertura ao público, ainda há um longo caminho a percorrer. Primeiro, é preciso terminar a instalação propriamente dita, uma vez que as estações ainda só têm as docas, faltando o totem. Por outro lado, é preciso fazer a ligação à rede eléctrica, tarefa que está a cargo da E-Redes, e os testes necessários para garantir que a estação está funcional e fica integrada no sistema tecnológico da GIRA. “Também em Junho irão também entrar em funcionamento duas estações em Marvila (Braço de Prata e Praça Davide Leandro da Silva)”says EMEL.
According to the 2024 business plan, EMEL plans to have 170 stations active by June and 184 by the end of the year. As for the bicycle fleet, the aim is to have 1,947 electric bicycles and 135 conventional bicycles by the end of the first half of the year, and 2,208 bicycles (all electric) by the end of the year, of which 1,840 should be available for use. "The implementation of the planning presented will result in a more convenient system, as was intended from the start. The planned network is much more comprehensive - there are 44 stations in addition to what was planned at the start of the system - and the goal for 2024 is for there to be active stations in all 24 parishes of Lisbon."the document reads.
“Neste plano de expansão, vamos avançar para Santa Clara no segundo semestre deste ano, em simultâneo com a construção da ciclovia da Estrada do Desvio já em obra e posteriormente para a Ajuda, após o licenciamento das localizações das estações, chegando assim a todas as freguesias da cidade de Lisboa”, indica a EMEL ao LPP, posicionando a GIRA “como um dos principais elementos da estratégia de descarbonização ambiental da cidade”.
At the moment, GIRA has around 1400 bikes available e 152 active stations. Four GIRA stations in the Algés and Restelo areas, in the parish of Belém, have yet to open since 2021. The parish council managed to get EMEL to relocate one of these stations, which occupied a parking area, to a pedestrian area. Two other stations will be moved for the same reason: the one at the top of Avenida Torre de Belém will move to Jardim Vasco da Gama, and the one that was placed in an outlying parking lot in Algés will be transferred to a pedestrian area. When this process is complete, the four GIRA stations in Belém will open.
In addition to the investments in stations and bicycles, EMEL is working on new software to manage the balance of the network and maintenance operations, as well as a new mobile application for users to solve current problems.
GIRA's expansion to Penha de França was one of the measures called for by a civic movement of neighbors that emerged in 2023, MAPEAR. It was the wish of several other residents of the parish, like Ana. In June 2022, the Livre party even approved, by a majority, in the Parish Assembly of Penha de França a motion for the Junta to enter "in contact with Lisbon City Council to bring GIRA to the parish of Penha de França" and asking "at least two GIRA stations in the Alto de São João area, in particular: at Parada do Alto de São João in front of the cemetery and at Avenida Mouzinho de Albuquerque".
Actualizado às 14:10 de 11/04/2024: adicionada informação da EMEL.
