Our Street is a Race Track

The Road That Was Never Meant for Speed

A neighbourhood under pressure

Our road, once a quiet and unassuming stretch of tarmac threading its way through a residential community, has become something else entirely. What should be a space defined by children’s footsteps, the clink of cutlery from a well-loved restaurant, and the soft chatter of neighbours has been overtaken, quite literally, by recklessness.

Excessive speeds are no longer the exception, but the norm. Vehicles tear through as if in open country, with no regard for the houses, cafés, or the educational establishment they pass. The corner, blind and narrow, is taken with such aggression that one particular car can be heard daily, its tyres screeching in protest as it rounds the bend, straddling the centre and endangering anyone in its path.

We have witnessed dangerous driving become routine, punctuated all too often by the tragic evidence of animals killed and left behind. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a pattern, a growing unease, and a justifiable fear that it is only a matter of time before it is not a dog or a cat, but a child or an elderly resident. The road has become a hazard imposed on those who live beside it, families, small business owners, and pedestrians simply trying to cross safely.

We are not unreasonable in our expectations, nor dramatic in our concerns. What we ask for is the most basic recognition of the road’s true nature and purpose. It is a local road, flanked by homes and frequented by people on foot. The current conditions are intolerable.

Act now

A Call for Proportionate Action

What we ask of Sintra Câmara

It is time for the council to act. The speed limit must be reviewed and reduced to a level consistent with a residential street. Physical interventions, such as speed bumps, must be introduced to make fast driving not merely illegal but impractical. The blind corner, which drivers so often cut through with impunity, requires clear centre-line markings to guide safe passage.

And while these changes are implemented, there must be enforcement. Not for show, but with purpose—so that those who use our road learn, at last, that it is not theirs to dominate, but ours to share.

This is not about inconvenience. It is about prevention. It is about responsibility. And it is long overdue.

Act now