Carlos Moedas chose Rui Pedro Lopo as president of Carris. The current administrator at Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa is expected to take office in January, but before that, this choice will have to be voted on at a City Council meeting on December 10th. From what DN could learn, the name should be approved.
TML is the entity responsible for the management and planning of public transport in the Lisbon metropolitan area, which includes the management of the integrated ticketing platform (such as the Navegante Metropolitano pass) and the operation of bus services under the Carris Metropolitana brand. It is 100% owned by the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
The Lisbon mayor considered at the end of Thursday night that Rui Pedro Lopo is a “clear option”, as he is a manager with “proven experience” in the mobility sector and who “best defends the future of the company and the challenges that Carris has ahead”.
From what DN could learn, Moedas places management and experience above possible political connections in the case of municipal companies. Lopo was, for 11 years, a councilor in Barreiro, elected by the CDU. From what DN found, there was no removal of Lopo from the parties that make up the Unitary Democratic Coalition. He was a member of the Board of Directors for eight years at Barreiro Public Transport and in his 11 years on the council he spent eight years at Mobility and Transport.
To DN, João Ferreira, PCP councilor, guarantees that there was no consultation. “There is no involvement from the PCP or the PCP councilor in this choice, nor prior contact”, he reiterates. “If there are agreements to distribute seats, it is with the parties involved. There is no agreement with us. No conversation”, says João Ferreira, who adds that “there is no principle of blocking” the names, stressing that “the assessment is made on a case-by-case basis.”
Gonçalo Reis, remember, is also new to the Chamber’s Executive. The councilor for Mobility has the endorsement of Carris and is vice-president. Carris, which is the municipal company with the most budgeted funds (between operation and direct investment), will have 35 million euros to purchase 98 new buses. In total, the country’s largest municipality will allocate 250.3 million euros to the transport company.
For other municipal appointments, similar cases can be seen, that is, personalities with political affiliations outside the PSD-CDS-IL are in management positions.
At the end of October, after the report that pointed out serious flaws in the accident with the Elevador da Glória, which caused 16 fatalities, it was announced that Pedro Bogas would not continue as president of Carris, despite Moedas having rejected his resignation after the tragic accident.