Transport Modes
Shared Mobility
It is a service provided by public or private operators, which makes bicycles or similar, with or without a motor, available to the user of the public space for short periods of time, accessed via an APP and without the need to use a parking dock.
Lisbon has a public shared bicycle service - GIRA - as well as one for mopeds and several shared bicycles and scooters from private operators.
The Institute for Mobility and Transport I.P. is responsible for licensing and supervisingshared mobility activities.
According to the Highway Code, scooters are considered to be bicycles, so their users are subject to the same rules as bicycles. Motorized bicycles and scooters are also considered to be bicycles, provided they have the following characteristics: an engine with a maximum continuous power of 0.25 kW and a maximum speed of 25 km/h, in accordance with Article 112(3)(b).
Bicycles may not circulate on sidewalks or in pedestrian spaces, with the exception of those driven by children up to the age of 10. They may circulate on sidewalks provided they do not endanger or disturb pedestrians, in accordance with Article 17(3).
Bicycles may not park on sidewalks or in pedestrian zones, with the exception of places specifically designated for this purpose.
In addition to what is stipulated in the Highway Code, the municipality has powers over the use of public space, which allows it to define rules for circulation and parking. To this end, Lisbon City Council drew up a Collaboration Agreement, in close coordination with the shared soft mobility operators operating in the city of Lisbon, which was signed on January 9, 2023 and which determines:
- A maximum speed limit of 20 km/h
- The creation of mandatory parking zones, known as hotspots
- A limit on the number of scooters circulating in the city
Lisbon City Council has set limits on the circulation and parking of shared bicycles, and has defined zones to which the following restrictions apply:
- Black zones: where circulation and parking are not allowed
- Red zones: where parking is not allowed
- Blue zones: where it is compulsory to terminate journeys at cycle parking spaces
These restrictions are replicated in the operators' APPs and automatically applied to the vehicles.