The mayor, Marco Almeida, proposed to the municipal executive that the limited-duration, paid parking system in bathing areas, namely Praia Grande and Praia das Maçãs, "cease to be seasonal and become a permanent annual system, from 1 January to 31 December".

The proposal adds that the resolution "does not alter the territorial perimeters of the parking areas already approved, nor does it determine the automatic activation of new parking zones or sub-zones".

At the executive's public meeting, Marco Almeida highlighted that the winter period "includes exemption from parking meter payments for the first 15 minutes," at the suggestion of businesses, and that "the summer operation was a success" in "regulating access to beaches and is set to continue."

"And I have already ordered a review of the entire parking meter payment plan in the municipality of Sintra, in other areas, because we are going to introduce the exemption from payment for the first 15 minutes throughout the parking meter area in the municipality," he added.

In terms of pricing, the approved price for bathing areas from 1 May to 30 September remains unchanged – between €0.45 for 15 minutes and €4.00 for four hours – and from 1 October to 30 April it will be €0.10 for 15 minutes, €0.25 for half an hour, €0.40 for 45 minutes, €0.50 for one hour, in addition to “the first 15-minute period for each daily period” being exempt from payment.

The daily operating hours, from 8 am to 8 pm, the minimum charging period, the maximum stay limit, the payment rules and exemptions remain the same throughout the year, and resident, merchant, concessionaire or other authorisation stickers will now be valid for one year.

The decision, it is further determined, takes effect from 1 October, to “ensure the continuity of the system after the end of the current seasonal period”, and the Sintra Municipal Parking Company (EMES) will have to submit a monitoring report to the municipal services within 12 months on the impacts of the changes.

Movements against

On the Internet, the petition “Against paid parking at Praia das Maçãs and Praia Grande”, with 2,127 signatories at the time, warns of “an attack on the right to leisure and free and unrestricted access to the Portuguese coast”, specifically by transforming “access to beaches into an economic privilege, penalising families and citizens with fewer resources”.