From today, wide vehicles are barred from Rua da Barra in a bid to protect historic buildings from accidental bumps. The heritage-listed Mandarin’s House – at the northern end of the narrow, one-way street – has been knocked and scraped “numerous times”, according to the Transport Bureau (DSAT).
DSAT announced the new rule on Monday, defining ‘wide vehicles’ as more than 2.2 metres across. The bureau also noted that these larger vehicles struggle to get around bends in the historic Barra neighbourhood, causing traffic hold-ups.
The ban will impact tourist coaches, trucks, and some larger vans and SUVs. Public buses, Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) vehicles, and waste collection vehicles are exempted.
[See more: Police nab driver who damaged the Mandarin’s House]
Meanwhile, vehicles longer than seven metres will be banned from driving along nearby Travessa do Colégio and Calçada da Paz – unless they are waste collection vehicles.
Special road signs will be set up to remind drivers about the new restrictions and direct them towards alternative routes.
Rua da Barra is a 250-metre stretch of road running from the Largo do Lilau public square, past the exterior wall of the Mandarin’s House, to the Moorish Barracks. It’s in the heart of São Lourenço’s Barra neighbourhood, known for its heritage architecture – much of which has been recognised by UNESCO.
