The proposed Mobility Plan for the Historic Center was an initiative of the Parish Council, which consulted residents, business owners, and experts. It was presented by Mayor Miguel Coelho (PS) at the Lisbon Municipal Assembly as "a strategy to encourage public debate and influence future decisions by the City Council," the entity responsible for mobility.

The goal is to prioritise residents, improve their quality of life and the environment, and improve safety in the region by making movement in these areas safer, with protected parking for residents and businesses and an increase in the number of pedestrian streets.

Among the main measures, the Plan stipulates that in the parish, which is already a Reduced Emissions Zone (REZ), only electric or hybrid vehicles may circulate, in addition to the exceptions provided for, which will reduce vehicle traffic in this area by approximately 40,000 cars per day (currently, between 130 and 140,000 cars pass through Santa Maria Maior daily).

According to Miguel Coelho's calculations, this reduction will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60,000 tons per year.

The plan also establishes that the entire parish will be a zone with a maximum speed limit of 30 km per hour, controlled by radar and with warning lights.

Participants in the public consultation also suggested that the Baixa district, between Rua do Ouro and Rua da Madalena, be further restricted, with the creation of a ZAAC (Restricted Automotive Access Zone) between Rua da Madalena and Rua do Ouro.

According to the proposal, the creation of the ZAAC would reduce vehicle traffic on Rua da Madalena by two-thirds. Alternatively, this street could also be closed (with exceptions) if two-way traffic were created on Rua do Ouro.

The creation of the ZAAC also provides for the establishment of two side streets providing restricted access to parking lots and hills, namely to Chiado Hill, via Rua do Ouro, and to Castelo Hill, via Rua dos Fanqueiros.

In this more restricted area, Rua dos Sapateiros, Rua Douradores, and, partially, Rua do Comércio (between Rua dos Fanqueiros and Rua do Ouro) could be pedestrianized, with some exceptions.

For Rua da Prata, a "green axis" is planned, dedicated to soft mobility, but time slots are permitted for residents.

The creation of exclusive parking spaces for residents with zone plates on Rua dos Fanqueiros, Rua da Madalena, and Rua do Crucifixo was also proposed, as well as for loading and unloading of duly authorized vehicles.

The exceptions for circulation in the Santa Maria Maior ZER are residents (with double validation by the Junta de Comércio and EMEL) and people with reduced mobility, vehicles for accessing parking lots, emergency and rescue vehicles and security forces, loading and unloading operations, public transportation and taxis (only with reduced emissions), Junta and City Hall vehicles, and tourist entertainment vehicles.

Tourist entertainment vehicles, such as tuk-tuk and TVDE, were considered by the stakeholders as "sources of disturbance and pollution" and require their own regulations. However, it is proposed that they have defined operating zones for picking up and dropping off passengers, not exceeding 15 minutes, for the block between Rua da Madalena, Rua do Comércio, Rua dos Fanqueiros, and Rua da Alfândega.

"This is a process, and processes are always lengthy, and we know very well that they don't end in a single term. But we believe that in the next term, whoever is in charge, there are all the conditions to find a mobility plan for the parish and, perhaps, for the historic centre of the city of Lisbon," said Miguel Coelho, who is in his final term as president of the Santa Maria Maior Parish Council.