PCP Lisbon said this in a statement on Tuesday the demands related to the preparation of the World Youth Day (WYD) revealed shortcomings and various problems in the infrastructure in the city of lisbon, but also in the municipal management itself. The party considers it necessary to “analyze and implement measures to remedy the deficiencies identified”.
The PCP points out that WYD requirements were met only “with the effort and commitment of many employees”, namely “employees from the services of the Lisbon City Council and municipal companies”.
The party considers it important to make an assessment of how public money has been spent and what benefits will continue to benefit the population and the city in the future. “It is not enough to say that a large part of CML’s investment remains for the city once the WYD is over. An assessment is needed to confirm such a statement or not.”
The PCP understands that the Chamber of Lisbon must define objectives for the Tejo-Trancão Park and for its management plan, in addition to the need to implement improvements such as shaded areas, for example. “It is crucial that this investment allows for a wide and diversified public enjoyment, which should also include, but cannot be limited to, cultural events and/or other large-scale events”said the communiqué, noting that as it is a public investment, it is necessary to maximize its enjoyment for the population.
The Communist Party hopes that the CML will regularly invest in municipal services (Regimento Sapadores Fogo, Civil Protection or Sanitation), “as has now proved possible, in the renewal and increase of workers, fleets, equipment and other labor resources”. According to the party, these investments were not made entirely in the context of WYD.
In terms of urban hygiene, the shortcomings they warned the party about were obvious. “Hiring an outside company to perform city cleaning services, worth half a million euros, could and should have resulted in a permanent investment in municipal city sanitation services, with a solution that entailed and necessitated the future integration of the missing workers used to be. ” In this sense, the PCP believes that this investment should be made as soon as possible.
“For the PCP, it is still necessary to determine which external contracts were made for equipment needed by the city and whose investment could be made through purchases remaining in the future, for usufruct in the city.”
Furthermore, the party considers it necessary to investigate situations such as the annulment of the public contract for the purchase of electric vehicles in the field of urban hygiene. In terms of renting facilities, the PCP proposed, and was approved, that part of the facilities should be permanently acquired by the Lisbon City Council in order to strengthen parts of the city that do not have this type of equipment.
“It is necessary to clarify other contracts, including through direct arbitration, such as WYD advertising/dissemination services contracted to the media, without omitting aspects of the news treatment given to the event and to CML, in particularly scrutinized”.
In conclusion, and with regard to public transport and mobility, the PCP requests that all limitations and difficulties encountered during WYD week be investigated. As for the Metropolitano de Lisboa, the Communist Party demands a permanent reinforcement of resources and workers, a substantial and permanent improvement of the supply from September.
The Party declares that it will seek the necessary clarifications on all these issues, ask the relevant written questions and make concrete proposals on the subjects mentioned.
Source: DN
