Tuk-tuks—those minimalist 3-wheel vehicles that can zip in and out of traffic for a sometimes thrilling, sometimes terrifying ride—are facing new restrictions in Portugal’s two largest cities.
Both Lisbon and Porto are limiting their use on a selection of center-city roadways with high traffic density “in order to promote greater traffic fluidity, pedestrian safety and accessibility of public transport.”
In both cities, they serve primarily to carry tourists among popular destinations and as tour vehicles; their numbers have greatly increased over the past few years. Around the world, and especially in Asia, they often also serve as taxis.
If nothing else, they have inspired some heavy verbiage; this is from Porto’s municipal government: “The circulation of vehicles that are not suited to the functional characteristics of certain road axes has compromised the objectives defined in the Municipal Master Plan, especially with regard to traffic fluidity, road safety and environmental quality.”
