The PSD organizes a second race between a donkey and a Ferrari

  • ECO News
  • 3 November 2016

The PSD/Lisbon revives António Costa’s action, in 1993, taken to criticize the constructions promoted by Fernando Medina, current mayor in Lisbon, and their impact on traffic in the capital.

The Portuguese Social Democratic Party (PSD) will recreate this Friday in Lisbon the race between a donkey and a Ferrari that the current prime-minister and former mayor of the municipality of Lisbon, organized in 1993 in a campaign for the municipal elections.

More than 20 years ago while running for mayor in the municipality of Loures north of Lisbon he famously drew attention to commuter problems by staging a race between a red Ferrari and a donkey in busy streets. The donkey won, but Costa lost the election. He repeated a similar stunt 10 years later in central Lisbon, pitting a Porche against a taxi, the Metro and a bicycle. Costa rode the Metro and it was a tossup whether he or the cyclist won — but Costa certainly made his point about public transport. http://portuguese-american-journal.com/what-next-portuguese-facing-another-general-election-portugal/
“More than 20 years ago while running for mayor in the municipality of Loures north of Lisbon he famously drew attention to commuter problems by staging a race between a red Ferrari and a donkey in busy streets. The donkey won, but Costa lost the election. He repeated a similar stunt 10 years later in central Lisbon, pitting a Porche against a taxi, the Metro and a bicycle. Costa rode the Metro and it was a tossup whether he or the cyclist won — but Costa certainly made his point about public transport” http://portuguese-american-journal.com/what-next-portuguese-facing-another-general-election-portugal/António Cotrim/Lusa

The PSD Lisbon recalls that, “in the words of the organizer himself, the event was ‘one of the most enrichening political experiences’ he ever lived”.

"Today, when, more than ever, Lisbon residents have, on a daily basis, their mobility put to the test, if not even their ability to jump over hurdles, the PSD/Lisbon understands the time has come to go back to and honor the ‘Costa-ism’ and his supporters with the second race between a donkey and a Ferrari. This way, the chaos caused by the constructions and that turn driving inside the capital into a living hell will receive two contenders for a more than fair competition.”

PSD’s press release brought forward today.

The race will start at 08:45 at Rua Professor António Flores, near Lisbon’s Law Faculty, and will arrive at Praça Duque de Saldanha, with the finishing line near the emblematic Monumental building.

“The chosen route for the race favors the city’s central axis, even though construction works are happening throughout Lisbon simultaneously, with direct consequences for traffic that has never been worse”, states the PSD’s city council, denying “these constructions have served to improve the mobility of Lisbon residents”.

According to Google Maps, the car trip from Rua Professor António Flores and Praça Duque de Saldanha, of around three kilometers (1.86 miles), lasts around eleven minutes to be completed. The same route takes around 35 minutes when walking.

However, the service does not reveal how long the route takes when covered by donkey.

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