The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, stated this Tuesday (7) that, at the request of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the economic team is carrying out a comprehensive study of the public transport sector in Brazil to evaluate the possibility of implementing zero fares. The statement was made during an interview with the program “Bom Dia, Minister”, broadcast by Brazilian Communications Company (EBC). 
The free transport model is fully adopted in 136 municipalities, most of which are small and medium-sized. In some capitals, such as Brasília and São Paulo, free access only occurs on Sundays and holidays.
“It’s an old topic in Brazil. We know that public transport in Brazil, especially urban transport, is an important issue for workers. At this moment, we are carrying out an x-ray of the sector, at the request of the president. There are several studies that are being recovered by the Treasury, to check if there are other more appropriate ways of financing the sector”, stated the minister.
Among the various points to be raised are the cost of the sector, how much the public authorities are putting into the system, how much companies, through transport vouchers, are contributing and how much comes out of the worker’s pocket. Furthermore, the government wants to understand, according to Haddad, what “the technological bottlenecks and technological possibilities” are.
In Brasilia, social movements meet this week to pressure the government and the National Congress to discuss this topic. The Zero Tariff Caravan, from October 6th to 10th, is a national action organized by the Movimento Passe Livre (MPL) and promotes classes and public hearings, leafleting and meetings with parliamentarians and representatives of the Executive Branch to discuss alternatives for implementing free transport.
