The crisis generated by the Covid-19 pandemic in public transport in Brazil completed six months and the sector is awaiting the vote on the Bill, which deals with emergency aid to public transport, in the Federal Senate. The bill was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on August 26.
Transport is an essential service for the population and is used mainly on home-to-work travels and by people who live far from urban centers. Even going through a serious economic crisis generated by the sharp reduction in revenue, Brazilian metro-rail operators maintained their operations to serve the population and reinforced cleaning and disinfection measures to ensure the safety of passengers and employees.
The National Association of Passenger Rail Operators (ANPTrilhos), an entity that represents Brazilian metro, urban train and Light Rail Vehicle operators, reinforces the importance of approving emergency relief to the sector so that there is no compromise in serving the population.
ANPTrilhos estimates point out that rail passenger transport systems in Brazil recorded a deficit of R$ 5.8 billion, referring only to fare revenue. At the peak of the crisis, the sector stopped handling around 85% of passengers and, today, it is transporting approximately 50% of the volume of passengers verified before the pandemic.
