Porto, Portugal, April 17, 2026 (Lusa) - More than half of the daily journeys made by residents in Portugal's second city, Porto, are by car (56.8%), while public transport usage stands at 23.5%, according to a diagnostic report from the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS), which is still being drawn up.
The data, to which Lusa had access, forms part of a proposal to introduce free public transport for Porto residents, allowing travel throughout the metropolitan area, revealing that 56.8% of daily journeys are made by car.
The remaining modal split (different ways of travelling) for journeys on weekdays is by walking (14.10%), by metro (11.70%), by bus (11.10%), other (3.50%), by bicycle (2%) and by train (0.70%).
"Combining the various types of public transport, bus, metro and train, allows us to estimate a modal share for public transport of approximately 23.5% of journeys," said the proposal from Porto city council.
The council said that this figure provides an approximation of public transport usage in the city, serving as a benchmark to estimate the potential user base for the measure of free public transport.
These figures represent the distribution of journeys across different types of transport, rather than the total number of individual users, providing a reasonable approximation for a preliminary estimate of potential demand.
Additionally, "the introduction of a scheme offering free access to public transport could lead to changes in the public’s mobility patterns, notably through shifting from private to public transport".
Three scenarios were considered regarding the future use of public transport following the introduction of free travel: conservative, intermediate and optimistic.
The conservative scenario forecasts a “5% increase in the share of public transport compared to current levels”, the intermediate scenario a 15% increase, and the optimistic scenario forecasts a “change in line with the target set in the urban mobility plan (PMUS), which predicts that public transport will account for 34% of urban journeys”.
Porto city council will vote on Tuesday on the proposal for free public transport, which will allow residents of the city to travel throughout the metropolitan area.
If approved, the scheme could begin this summer, with an estimated annual cost of €20.5 million.
The proposal, signed by Mayor Pedro Duarte, suggests replacing the current system with a ticket linked to the ‘Cartão Porto’ (Porto Card), which would offer territorial coverage equivalent to the "Andante" Metropolitan Pass (a monthly, rechargeable, and intermodal public transport ticket for the Porto Metropolitan Area).
Budgetary allocations for the programme have been set at a maximum of €10.25 million for 2026, rising to €18.7 million in 2027.
According to the contract’s supporting study, this “points to a preliminary estimate of a maximum annual cost of approximately €20.5 million, which corresponds, on a monthly basis, to an average cost of approximately €1.71 million”.
The local authority estimated that the number of public transport users would be 59,381, representing 23.5% of the estimated resident population in 2025 (252,687), but that the potential users of the new scheme would number 42,700, as residents under 23 already benefit from state-funded free passes.
JE/MYAL // AYLS
Lusa
