When the announcement of the revision of the movida’s regulation came out, a group of residents from the streets of Alegria, D. João IV, Santa Catarina and Rampa da Escola Normal, in the center of Porto, rekindled hope. For fear of reprisals they chose not to participate directly in the public discussion period, but through the socialist councilors they reported their drama and left a request: include that area, which suffers from the noise caused by the Eskada disco, in the perimeter of the movida. The Porto Chamber decided not to do so. And “hell” remains there.
João R. has dozens of videos and photographs capable of proving his version. The last one, on Monday, a few days after the new regulation came into force, shows a group of people drinking on Rua da Alegria, in front of the Eskada nightclub, and music at high decibels – even though it was recorded from the his house, with the window closed and a good few meters away. “We feel abandoned.”
The epicenter of the problem is the disco opened since 2013 in the city center. “The Eskada is the great failure of the movida regulation”, he criticizes, lamenting the inaction of the municipality and the authorities. “If the objective of the regulation [da movida] it’s reconciling the life of residents with that of establishments, how is it possible for a discotheque to open every day, except Sunday, and close at six in the morning?
The area is mainly residential and complaints are repeated. João R. – the name is fictitious for fear of reprisals – and the neighbors frequently call the Municipal Police and the PSP, but do not feel the effects of this: “One blames the other and many times they do not even answer the calls. ”
Already after the report by PÚBLICO and some coverage of the subject, at the beginning of the year, the van that sold hot dogs in the street, in front of the disco, disappeared. “It was illegal”, guarantees João R. But, essentially, the problem remains. “Things remain the same. Noise, violence, glass and bottles in the street, a lot of people drunk, cars going the wrong way.”
In January, the Porto City Council assumed that it was aware of the problem, but argued that it was essentially beyond its responsibility. The reason for not including that part of the city in the regulation was: “The perimeter of the mthe lifewith regard to noise management, is right in a context where complaints or the concentration of establishments is so dense, and socializing outside is so impactful, that it prevents an individualization of contributions using measurement by the municipal noise laboratory.”
But he added that it made sense “to try to control amplified sources with a limiter in a transversal and integrated way or to adjust schedules”. O PÚBLICO questioned Rui Moreira’s executive: knowing that the situation remains, are you considering revising the timetable? Did you, however, have any contact with Eskada residents and owners? The Porto Chamber said it had nothing to add.