Metrobus expands today to Coimbra-B and Praça da República, in a new phase of the operation that requires changes to road traffic in the Baixa and the modification of more than 20 lines of the Coimbra Municipal Urban Transport Services. Rua da Sofia becomes one-way, reserved for public transport and local access for residents and traders. Avenida D. Sesnando Davides, known as Via Central, is also restricted to buses and local access, while Rua de Saragoça now operates only in the downhill direction, between Rua Guerra Junqueiro and Rua de Montarroio.
SMTUC estimates that around 14% of daily passengers are affected by the changes. This reorganization seeks to avoid overlap between municipal services and Metrobus, with Arnado, Praça da República and the Stadium/Solum area becoming connection points between the two networks. At Arnado, passengers will need to walk approximately five minutes between stops, while at Solum the transfer should involve a journey of about three minutes.
Given the extent of the changes, Coimbra City Hall launched an information campaign aimed at users and drivers, available at www.cm-coimbra.pt/comovou. The municipality also recommends using navigation apps to identify the most suitable routes during the adaptation to the new traffic model.
