The march was organised by the National Association of Tourist Animation Conductors and Tourist Entertainers, calling for the orange alerts not to be decreed due to the risk of rural fire in the municipality, but taking into account the analysis of the microclimate of the Serra de Sintra, in the district of Lisbon, based on the temperature, humidity and wind indices.

Traffic circulation in the Sintra mountains has been subject to restrictions since the 17 July due to the Civil Protection alerts for fire risk.

Speaking to Lusa, the association's spokeswoman, Inês Henriques, referred that today's demonstration and slow march serve to “alert the population to what the sector is going through”.

The association refers to the 434 bus, which is public passenger transport with a permit issued by the Institute of Mobility and Land Transport (IMTT), emphasizing that “this vehicle, which accesses the mountains, is not a heavy passenger vehicle a public service, but carries out a tourist activity.”

To the journalists, the Civil Protection councillor of the Municipality of Sintra, Domingos Quintas, said “there is no discrimination” on the part of the municipality as regards the tourist entertainment businesspeople.

“The defence of the mountains comes first. We are not the ones who determine the risk of fire. It's the IPMA. When the risk is determined, we have the obligation to take all measures to preserve the mountain range.” Said Domingo Quintas

According to Domingos Quintas, "there is nothing [traffic sign] that specifically concerns these types of operators".

"There are signs that do not allow the passage of some transports, as far as I know. But the preservation of the mountain for us is in the first place, whatever it is," he stressed.

The Serra de Sintra, located in the district of Lisbon, includes a protection region classified as sensitive to the risk of a forest fire, characterised by a high number of visitors.