"EMEL was informed by the Municipal Civil Protection of the need to provide parking lots to support Taylor Swift's concert between May 18 and 26," the municipal company told Lusa in a statement.

Also according to EMEL, "this information, dated May 17, was accompanied by an opinion from the PSP Traffic Division, which indicates the need to reserve spaces for the implementation of exclusion zones, which allow for the safe accommodation and management of crowds, as well as the implementation of traffic restrictions and isolation".

The parking lots of Colégio Militar, Cosme Damião and Avenida Lusíada are closed to the public until Sunday, due to Taylor Swift's concerts, but users and shopkeepers complain about the lack of notice and viable alternatives.

The concerts of the American singer, part of the "The Eras Tour" tour, take place at Estádio da Luz on Friday and Saturday, starting at 6 pm.

In a note published on the 'website' on Monday, EMEL reveals that the temporary closure started at 8 pm on Saturday in the Colégio Militar and Cosme Damião car parks and at the same time on Monday in the Avenida Lusíada car park.

"In compliance with the requirements imposed by the PSP, EMEL proceeded on that same day to notify all users who have a subscription in these car parks," the company says in the note sent to Lusa.

"In view of these restrictions imposed on EMEL and our subscribers, they were offered the alternative of parking in the car parks of Alto dos Moinhos, Estrada da Luz, Telheiras Nascente and Telheiras Poente, as a way of mitigating the situation," the company adds in the note.

EMEL does not, however, respond to the question posed by Lusa as to whether or not the company intends to reimburse subscribers for additional charges resulting from the closure of the car parks.

Despite this announcement, Lusa had access to 'e-mails' sent on Friday to subscribers of the Colégio Militar car park, next to the Colombo Shopping Centre, stating that it would be closed from 8 pm on Monday (48 hours later than indicated in the EMEL note) and that an alternative would be the Cosme Damião car park (a closed space).

The message sent to subscribers the day before the restrictions began requested "the early removal of the vehicle".

For subscribers to access the car parks of Alto dos Moinhos, Estrada da Luz, Telheiras Nascente and Telheiras Poente, they only need to identify themselves "at the time of access with the monthly subscription number", explains the company on its website.

In the case of Colégio Militar, it adds, the restrictions are "for assembly and creation of pockets for the thousands of spectators waiting to enter and who may arrive a few days in advance". The creation of these pockets is also the justification for the closure of the Cosme Damião car park.

Several shopkeepers and workers nearby were taken by surprise on Monday with the closure of the car park, such as Andreia Neto, a 34-year-old shopkeeper, who told Lusa that "she had an 'e-mail' from EMEL in 'spam' [junk e-mail]" which she only read that day, after being prevented from using the car park.

"The agreements are for that, so that we have our place reserved, and at this moment, they have not given us a solution, either we pay for parking or we have to go by Uber," criticized the shopkeeper.

The owner of a beauty institute and training school, Catarina Moreira, also criticized the closure of the car park and the lack of alternatives.

"We pay a monthly fee and we can't use the car park. I recently had surgery where I can't leave the car far away and have to walk all the way because I'm forbidden by the doctor, and I have parking at the door of the establishment that I can't use," she said.

The shopkeeper added that she will "complain and talk to a lawyer in order to be reimbursed for all the amounts" that she is paying for parking, "while still paying a fee to EMEL".

A building materials dealer on Rua Dr. João Couto, Filipe Monteiro said that the closure of the EMEL car park is harming employees and customers, as he has "several agreements with EMEL for that car park" and they have been deprived of using it, with alternatives "almost a kilometer away".

Read Also: EMEL criticized for closing parking lot due to concert (Portuguese version)