Part 6/9:
Despite the initial successes, Porto’s Metro faced political challenges that affected its full potential. The political landscape consisted of 17 mayors representing various municipalities, each vying for the Metro to serve their respective areas. This often led to decisions that limited the effectiveness of the Metro by catering to local interests rather than overarching commuter needs.
Consequently, while the Metro improved transit for some areas, it fell short of significantly reducing overall car usage in the metropolitan area. The system primarily captured riders from the existing and unreliable bus services, highlighting underlying structural issues that persisted even with the Metro’s introduction.