Portuguese truck drivers protest against rising fuel costs

On September 25, 2026, hundreds of truck drivers across Portugal held demonstrations to protest against the sharp increase in fuel prices. A convoy of approximately 500 trucks, primarily from the construction and excavation sector, departed from the industrial area near Porto in the morning. The convoy, which aimed to travel 140 kilometers to Coimbra, occupied the highway connecting northern and southern Portugal. Simultaneously, in Lisbon, motorists staged a protest on the 25th of April Bridge by continuously honking their horns.

The protesters highlight that the price of diesel has surged from 1.59 euros per liter at the end of February to 2.22 euros in September. These business owners argue that the unsustainable rise in operating costs threatens their viability. A central grievance of the construction transport sector is their exclusion from the government's professional diesel subsidy programs, which currently benefit other transport sectors. The demonstrators intend to continue their pressure on the government to seek relief measures for their industry. No immediate government response or official conclusion to the protests has been reported as of yet.