The number of complaints about rubbish scattered on the streets of Lisbon has increased. Desperate, residents pressure City Hall to take action. Carlos Moedas announced more money and more staff to deal with recent urban hygiene problems.
The Lisbon City Council announced on Wednesday an increase in the budget for urban hygiene of more than 60% and more hiring. The measure comes at a time when there are more and more complaints about garbage accumulated on the city’s streets, which is a “public health” problem for residents.
Over the past few weeks, several residents of the Portuguese capital have been photographing and filming the city’s streets, where you see a lot of trash on the sidewalk, as well as completely full trash cans. According to the locals, the problem is not recent, having worsened over time.
“When it’s very hot days, the smell is very bad, very intense. I’ve heard of rats coming out of the gutters during the day, and some cockroaches can be seen,” a resident complained to SIC.
According to Inês Brás, member of the Arroios Residents Association, photographs and videos of situations happening on the street are received “very regularly”, “from people who are almost without hope and who have already made many complaints to the Parish Council and even the City Council, but who have received no response to their problem” .
Parish councils recognize the problem and ask for more resources. Carlos Moedas, president of Lisbon City Councilassured that the city hall will act, increasing this year “by more than 60% the resources in relation to urban hygiene” compared to the previous year and hiring more than 500 people since 2022.
Wave of challenges on social media
It has been through social media that many residents have expressed themselves regarding the garbage problem in Lisbon.
In the week in which the capital, the former Minister of Culture, Pedro Adão e Silva, used the social network X to complain about the situation in an ironic tone.
The garbage problem has become a “political war”
There are several posters spread across Lisbon with the name Carlos Moedas, associated with a image of overflowing trash cans.
The Workers’ Party also criticizes Moedas’ management, blaming the mayor for failures in urban hygiene. In response to the socialists, the Mayor of Lisbon claims that there are already parties “in campaign”.
“Apparently several parties are already campaigning. I think it’s still early for that, because we have to be governing”, said the mayor of Lisbon in response to the criticism.
