The Coimbra City Council presented the campaign "And now, how do I get there?" to explain the significant changes in the city's mobility, which come into operation on September 10th. The campaign includes information on the City Council's website and explanatory brochures, allowing citizens to understand and adjust their travel in the Baixa da cidade.
The changes include the expansion of the Metrobus system, which will now connect Coimbra-B and Praça da República, and the transformation of Rua da Sofia, which will no longer allow general car traffic, a situation foreseen 15 years ago. The street remains accessible to residents, loading and unloading, essential services and emergency vehicles, being dedicated primarily to public transport.
The restructuring affects several SMTUC routes, with routes 4, 7, 10 and 103 interfacing with the Metrobus at Praça da República, and routes 25, 25T, 30 and 30T terminating at Arnado. New stops have been created on Avenida D. Sesnandes Davides, next to the Loja do Cidadão, and on Rua Antero de Quental and Rua Guerra Junqueiro. With the expansion, the Metrobus increases from 291 to 452 daily circulations.
The Mayor of Coimbra, Ana Abrunhosa, highlighted that the changes aim to connect various pieces of the transport system, promoting intermodality. From October 1st, the intermodal pass MOVE-C will allow the use of SMTUC, Metrobus, CP trains and soon shared bicycles. Until the end of September, SMTUC pass holders can travel on the Metrobus at no additional cost. The City Council refers to an investment of 200 million euros in the Metrobus, with the aim of opening the Baixa da cidade to people, commerce and leisure.
