First, it was targeted for the end of this year. Then early 2022. Later there was talk of the middle of next year. The justification given to the newspaper Público last June had been a delay in the issuance of the approval by the Court of Auditors. The visa has arrived and it is now known when the Metropolitan Railway will start operating: July 2022.
Carris Metropolitana represents an investment of about 1.2 billion euros and will allow the public road transport in Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) in yellow and with a unique markwhich will also mean a network and ticketing designed in an integrated way between the 18 municipalities that make up the referred AML. The forecast is that Carris Metropolitana will represent an increase in service of around 40%, in relation to the pre-pandemic offer, with more routes, more routes and circulations, more modern, more efficient and more environmentally sustainable buses.
With Carris Metropolitana, the Vimeca or TST brands, for example, will disappear, but these private companies - like the others that won the international public tender in 2020 - will start to operate with the new brand and the common rules, defined by Lisbon Metropolitan Transports (TML). In other words, the Metropolitan Carris will be made up of four different private concessions, each of which will represent a slice of the AML: Northwest (Amadora, Oeiras and Sintra), Northeast (Mafra, Loures, Odivelas and Vila Franca de Xira), Southwest (Almada, Seixal and Sesimbra) and Southeast (Alcochete, Moita, Montijo, Palmela and Setúbal). Lisbon, Barreiro and Cascais are not included because these municipalities have municipal operators (Carris, TCB and MobiCascais).
In press releasethe AML said it received the green light from the Court of Auditors "for the entry into force of the public service contracts for road transport that will be managed by the newly created Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa (TML)". The international public tender, launched on February 13, 2020, for seven years of road operations, has gone through several phases of instructional steps that have now ended with the approval of the Court of Auditors on August 17, "allowing to start the transition and implementation process of the new operation (10 months), with a planned start in July 2022".
The bus service network, designed by AML in conjunction with the 18 municipalities, will consist of around 600 bus routes serving approximately 2.7 million potential users. "The improvements to be implemented will also take into consideration technological integration and service planning and adjustment to existing needs, the promotion of punctuality, regularity, system reliability, and further simplification of the networks and services to be provided."says AML.
"Environmental sustainability will be promoted, through the renewal and qualification of the fleet, with a decrease in the average age of buses from 15 years to less than one year and the inclusion of a quota of non-polluting and energy efficient vehicles, with eco-driving measures, economic, safe and comfortable driving. An improvement in passenger focus and attention is planned, with the expansion of the sales and support services network and centralized management of information and people support needs."
A Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) is the entity responsible for managing Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa (TML), which, in turn, will oversee Carris Metropolitana. "Carris Metropolitana is continuing an unparalleled revolution in the mobility of the Lisbon metropolitan region that aims to promote quality of life and a change in the modal split in favor of public transport and sustainable mobility"concludes the AML press release.
