Sixty thousand euros to strengthen the taxi transportation protocol to vaccination sites is voted by the Municipal Executive on 31 May

The Municipal Executive votes a resolution to strengthen the support to taxi companies with 60 thousand euros, under the protocol to transport beneficiaries to vaccination sites.

The Municipality of Porto supports taxi rides in town to transport the elderly to and from vaccination centres, namely the Health Centres in the Western and Eastern part of the city. This cooperation agreement, which started on 9 March, was concluded with the two taxi shuttles operating in the city. Taxi fares are two euros per one-way trip, and round-trips are 4 euros. This measure had already been announced by Mayor Rui Moreira on 22nd February, during the Municipal Executive meeting.

This cooperation agreement was signed with Raditáxis and with Táxis Invicta, which as a whole account for 691 out of the 699 taxi Licences granted in Porto. Taxi shuttles operating in the city are a vital part regarding transportation to and from vaccination centres at a reduced cost, in a quick and comfortable manner. All residents can choose this means of transportation to vaccination centres and be accompanied by a relative or friend, at two euros per one-way ride. A round-trip costs four euros. By the end of April, there have been circa 5.300 transportation services by taxi to and from vaccination sites against Covid-19 in Porto.

This accession represents a strong contribution to mobility in the city, as it eases traffic and parking constraints nearby vaccination centres. Also, “the population of Porto is adhering to this initiative by the Municipality of Porto and that leads us to maintaining the partnership with the Taxi companies, and also to strengthening the amount available”, reads the proposal by the councillor for Transports, Cristina Pimentel.

It is worth mentioning that Porto City Hall has built a robust program for the administration of vaccines in the city, with a capacity to inoculate circa 2000 people per day; the drive-thru vaccination centre, set up in the Queimódromo, is ready to go since February. The Municipality of Porto has been in constant communication with the two ACES [Health Centre Groups) in the city and articulated the availability of vaccination sites. In line with the request by the National Vaccination Task Force to increase capacity, the Municipality of Porto provided the School António Aroso to the ACES Ocidental, and a tent that will serve as a recovery site for the ACES Oriental.