The Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) considers that the main challenge in terms of mobility in the region is to ensure that public transport truly functions as an integrated network, with quality, predictability and ease of use. For the metropolitan executive officer, Tiago Araújo, the passenger must be at the centre of system organization.

“The challenge is to turn diversity into an integrated experience for the passenger”, defended Tiago Araújo, in a debate promoted by the Municipality of Maia, which was part of the programming of the European Mobility Week 2026. The metropolitan secretary referred to the diversity of mobility solutions in the municipality, which include the metro, road transport, the proximity to the Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport and the cooperation with the other municipalities of the Metropolitan Area.

The debate, which brought together, in addition to the representative of AMP, the Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto (TMP), STCP, Metro do Porto, the Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport and the Maia Aerodrome, restated the importance of deepening the cooperation between the different entities and transport solutions, with a view to strengthening the metropolitan network.

Tiago Araújo also highlighted the need to make public transport an increasingly convenient alternative to the car, considering that the choice of means of transport depends not only on the existing offer. “The priority is not just to increase the offer but to improve the quality of the experience: access, waiting, travel, transhipment and arrival at the destination", considered the Metropolitan Executive Officer.

In this context, he stressed that the UNIR network, although it does not have the same functional and structural conditions as the Porto metro, provides a public service with good levels of efficiency for much of the day. In periods of increased road flow, however, "the overloading of roads can condition the fulfilment of schedules and increase travel times", he said.

Therefore, according to Tiago Araújo, the reflection on metropolitan mobility must also accompany the way in which the public space is organized. The Metropolitan Executive Officer stressed the importance of considering principles associated with the concept of the "15-Minute City", promoting territories where commuting can be easier and where public space is more attractive and adapted to people's needs.

The participation of the AMP in the initiative of the Municipality of Maia is part of the metropolitan strategy of strengthening sustainable mobility and promoting a public transport network that is more integrated, efficient and adjusted to the needs of citizens and territories.