Lawmaker slams central roundabout condition

Lawmaker José Pereira Coutinho recently presented a written enquiry urging the government to pay more attention to the environmental conditions of public spaces, especially regarding the Ferreira do Amaral Square in the city center.

The enquiry addressed several environmental issues as well as lack of maintenance of the space, and included photographic proof of the statements.

Coutinho claimed that refuse accumulates in the area over extended periods of time without any noticeable efforts from the responsible cleaning company.

The problem constitutes a serious public health matter and “seriously affects the tourism image of the city,” he wrote in the enquiry.

Construction flaws, unrepaired damage and maintenance problems were also addressed, as they have resulted in cases of poor ventilation and water accumulation, potentially causing serious health problems for residents.

Traffic in the area was addressed mainly in relation to public transportation and the fact that, according to the lawmaker, the roundabout does not support the traffic congestion primarily caused by buses. The enquiry questioned whether “there is any scientifically-based plan to relieve the traffic pressure on the mentioned square.”

The enquiry also recalled that last week, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) revealed that a body was found along the underpass connected to the same square.

The PSP said in its statement that it had ruled the case a suicide and forwarded it to the Judiciary Police for further investigation. RM