São Paulo Court of Justice Orders Mayor Haddad to Paralyse Bike Paths Under Construction

03/20/2015 - 09h16

Last Thursday (19), after an injunction request, the court decided that Fernando Haddad's (PT) administration must paralyse the cycle paths under construction in the city.
 
The only exception is the bike path at Paulista Avenue.
 
The decision made by the 5th court of the Public Treasury was in response to a preliminary injunction asked by prosecutor Camila Mansour Magalhães da Silveira.
 
She argues that Fernando Haddad's administration (PT) has not planned the bike path network before its implementation.
 
Judge Luiz Fernando Rodrigues Guerra accepted the request due to the increase in traffic caused by the bike lanes.
 

"It is reasonable the presence of a prior study on the global and local impact on the roads, in order to mitigate deleterious effects as the strangulation of vehicular traffic on public roads", he wrote.
 
The fine in case of non-compliance with the rule is US$ 3,000 a day.
 
Regarding the bike path along Paulista Avenue, the judge justified the decision, saying the work on the site "appears to have better study and planning, with prior information to the community in general."

He also wrote that using the middle section of the avenue for its construction shows that there was a concern to mitigate traffic.
 
The cycle paths at Amaral Gurgel Street and Minhocão, currently under construction, should be affected by the decision.
 
When questioned, Haddad's administration considered the judge's decision "sensible", as he only accepted part of the prosecution's requests.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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