Pedro de Britos Bogas tendered his resignation as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Carris this Wednesday, 22 October, following a meeting with Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas.
According to a statement from Lisbon City Council, the resignation extends to all remaining members of the company’s Board of Directors. “The current Board will continue to manage operations within the legal deadlines and limits until a new President and Board of Directors are appointed,” the statement reads.
Moedas accepted the resignation, saying he “understands and accepts the reasons presented,” and considers it “essential to appoint a new Board, which will be announced in due course, for a new mandate.”
The mayor praised the outgoing board for its professionalism and courage “during the most difficult period of the mandate, following the tragic accident involving the Elevador da Glória,” noting that although the board had offered to step down immediately after the incident, they “agreed to remain in office.”
Moedas reaffirmed his “commitment to restoring, as swiftly as possible, the full confidence and credibility of a company that is vital to the city of Lisbon.”
Bogas had initially offered his resignation on the night of the accident, but Moedas refused to accept it at the time, reportedly telling him: “No one walks away from this.” Sources close to the mayor revealed that Moedas viewed “the series of technical failures identified over several years, mainly involving the last two administrations, as extremely serious,” and had already decided not to reappoint the current board.
Following the release of the preliminary report into the Elevador da Glória derailment, Moedas reiterated his intention “to restore the company’s credibility and public trust as quickly as possible.”
The current board, led by Pedro Bogas, was approved in May 2022 with support from the Socialist Party (PS). Under the company’s statutes, board mandates coincide with those of Lisbon’s municipal officials—meaning the current term was due to end later this year.
Before Bogas, Tiago Farias had served as Carris President since 2016, when the city council assumed management of the public transport company.
The preliminary report from the GPIAAF (Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft and Rail Accidents) revealed that the cable connecting the two carriages of the Elevador da Glória, which failed at its attachment point on the derailed car, did not meet Carris specifications and was not certified for passenger transport.
In addition to maintenance failures and omissions, the report also cited a lack of staff training and inadequate supervision of work carried out by the maintenance contractor.
The GPIAAF noted, for instance, that the inspections scheduled for the day of the accident “were recorded as completed, despite evidence suggesting they were not performed during the time period stated on the inspection log.”
The agency recommended that Carris should not resume operation of Lisbon’s funiculars “without a reassessment by a specialised body,” and advised the Institute for Mobility and Transport to establish an appropriate regulatory framework.
