Lisbon, Sept. 8, 2025 (Lusa) - The Lisbon city council on Monday approved proposals from the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, the PS and the PCP for measures in response to the Glória funicular accident, ranging from support for the victims to the creation of a transparency portal.
The proposals were approved "almost unanimously or unanimously in many cases" at the extraordinary town hall meeting, said the vice-president of the municipality, Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP), noting that there was an effort to consensualise the three documents into a single one, but it wasn't possible, so the executive voted on each one.
The Glória funicular, managed by the city's public transport operator, Carris, derailed on Wednesday afternoon in an accident that left 16 dead and two dozen injured, including Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the meeting, Anacoreta Correia highlighted the tribute to all those involved in the accident, in particular the brakeman, who was "a true hero, who died on duty", and the support measures for the victims.
"From the point of view of information, there is a great desire to make all the information available," said the vice-president, emphasising the creation of a transparency portal that would be available to everyone.
"No one is dealing with this in defence or worrying about being questioned. We want all the information to be public knowledge, regardless of the consequences," he said, noting that “the Carris management is very keen to fully clarify this tragedy, this event that couldn't have happened”.
Anacoreta Correia also said that safety was at the forefront of his concerns: "In all the decisions we've made, safety has always been absolutely decisive and in the future it will surely be safety that takes precedence over any other type of criteria, so there will be no ideological or financial limits to restoring confidence in Carris public passenger transport in the city of Lisbon."
Pedro Anastácio from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) welcomed the approval of the Socialist councillor's proposal for "support for the victims, full clarification and restoring confidence in the city's future", regretting that the idea of hearing the leader of Carris again was approved with the PSD/CDS-PP leadership voting against.
The Socialist Party (PS) proposal includes the creation of a memorial on Calçada da Glória and a Municipal Victim Support Office and a Municipal Victim Support Fund, as well as a public monitoring panel on the Lisbon city council website and an external audit commission, which must necessarily include universities.
The Socialist also accused the PSD affiliated city mayor, Carlos Moedas, of "trying to hide in one of the darkest moments in the city's history" by not making any statements to journalists, referring instead to the vice-president.
Communist Party (PCP) councillor João Ferreira praised the full and unanimous approval of his proposal, highlighting the support for the victims and their families and the creation of an evaluation commission to begin the internalisation of maintenance services by Carris, which are currently outsourced.
Valuing the approval of the measures, the communist warned that "things cannot remain on paper as they so often do".
SSM/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
