Background information

Following the declaration of state of emergency in Portugal on 18 March 2020, by the Decree of the President of the Republic 14-A/2020, the Order 3547-A/2020 of 22 March 2020 regulates this declaration, ensuring the operation of the supply chains of essential public goods and services, as well as the respective operation conditions. This includes passengers transportation. Taken into consideration the pandemic prevention and control procedures, a safety distance among the users and between these and the workers, as well as special hygiene measures are adopted.

Content of measure

The companies Transtejo, S. A., Soflusa - Sociedade Fluvial de Transportes, S. A., Metropolitano de Lisboa, E. P. E., Metro do Porto, S. A., and Sociedade de Transportes Coletivos do Porto, S. A., and the concessionaire for operation of the service of light-rail metro system on the south bank of the Tagus must ensure, among other conditions:

• The reduction, whenever possible, of the possibilities of contact between the drivers and other support staff and the passensers, in order to minimize the risk of infection, notably imposing the use of the back door by passengers, when the vehicles do not dispose of a separate cabin to the driver;
• The cleaning and disinfection of the vehicles, facilities and equipments used by the passengers and other users, according to the recommendations of health authorities.

In the transport by taxi and in the UBER and similar vehicles the access to the front seat must be restrained, ensuring air renovation inside the vehicles and the cleaning of the surfaces.

Use of measure

Not available

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment Self-employed The COVID-19 risk group at the workplace	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

No involvement of social partners.

Views and reactions

Not available.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 22 March 2020: Despacho n.º 3547-A/2020 - Diário da República n.º 57-B/2020, 1º Suplemento, Série II de 2020-03-22 (dre.pt)