“Taking into account the number of contributions received (around 150 in total from the three proposals) and the meeting requests received, there is a high level of interest, higher than that recorded in other public consultations”, says Lisbon City Council (CML).

Based on a proposal from the CML, the new measures to “guarantee a balance between the right to rest and night-time economic activity”, including the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages abroad from 01:00 in Bairro Alto, Bica, Cais do Sodré and Santos, were under public consultation for 30 days, a period that ended on Monday.

The creation of a time restriction zone for 11pm on Rua de São Paulo, applied only to establishments that do not comply with the urban requirements required for their economic activity, is another proposal.

It is also proposed to amend the Regulation on Opening Hours of Establishments for Sale to the Public and Provision of Services in the Municipality of Lisbon, so that establishments treated as convenience stores and that sell alcoholic beverages close at 10:00 pm and that the opening hours operating hours of terraces will be differentiated from establishments, with a limit of 24:00.

Considering that the deadline for presenting statements during public consultation ended two days ago, the CML considers it “premature” to carry out a complete analysis of the participatory process.

“All contributions will be carefully analysed and documented in a detailed report and only after analysing all the arguments and proposals presented will it be possible to assess which were the main concerns and which proposals should be included”, says the municipality.

Asked about the content of the “around 150” contributions received, the CML explains that the information provided by participants will now be categorised in the administrative phase following the public consultation process, at which point the type of contributions will be determined.

Regarding when the new measures will be discussed again by the council and when they are expected to come into force, the municipality indicates that “there is no established date at this time”.

“Scheduling will depend on the time needed to complete the analysis and consideration, with the hope that this period will be as short as possible”, he adds.

"Sceptical"

Residents and traders of Bairro Alto, a reference point for Lisbon's nightlife and which is facing a worsening of problems associated with nightlife, demand more supervision and are “a little skeptical” in relation to the council's proposals.

The sale and consumption of “a lot of alcohol” is a common concern for residents and traders in Bairro Alto, in the parish of Misericórdia, who warn about the existence of establishments operating as bars, but with licenses for tea houses, even though the Plan of Urbanization of Bairro Alto and Bica prohibits the opening of new bars.

From the perspective of the president of the Association of Residents of the Parish of Misericórdia, Luís Paisana, the ban on the sale of alcohol on public roads from 01:00 “is late”, the inspection “does not act as it should” and the law of zero licensing, which facilitates the opening of establishments, “should be limited or prohibited”.

Defending that the right to rest “is untouchable”, the president of the Bairro Alto Merchants Association, Hilário Castro, criticizes the existence of “brewers sponsoring this entire environment, because the more they sell the better”, and further complains that, After the establishments close, no one monitors or controls the streets.

Layoffs

Speaking to the Lusa agency, the president of the Portuguese Association of Restaurants, Bars, and Nightlife, Ricardo Tavares, argues that if the chamber's proposals move forward, layoffs and bankruptcies of establishments in the city will increase.

For the president of the Misericórdia Parish Council, Carla Madeira (PS), the council's proposals to balance residents' right to rest and night time economic activity are “a handful of nothing”, especially because for two years she has been asking for a ban on the sale of alcohol on the street from 01:00 and there was “not a single response” to this request.