At least ten capitals will have free public transport this Sunday (2) to allow voters to travel on polling day. The turnstile will be released for those who live in Boa Vista (RR), Campo Grande (MS), Curitiba (PR), Fortaleza (CE), Maceió (AL), Manaus (AM), Porto Alegre (RS), Rio de Janeiro ( RJ), Salvador (BA) and São Luís (MA). In Natal (RN), voters will have the benefit of a social tariff and, in Rio Branco (AC), the free pass is guaranteed on return with the presentation of the voting receipt.
In Porto Alegre, the city hall had published a decree last year canceling the free election on election day, a measure that had been adopted since 1995. The change, according to the Secretariat of Urban Mobility, occurred because people already live close to the polling place. .
After the case gained repercussion, the municipality signed a term of conduct adjustment with the Public Ministry of Rio Grande do Sul to guarantee the right to those who are unable to pay the ticket, from 7 am to 7 pm. The person must present a photo ID, informing that they are going to vote and that they cannot afford the cost of the fare.
normal levels
Decision of Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), determines that public transport is maintained at normal levels during this Sunday. It establishes, however, that municipalities that have already offered free access in previous elections maintain the measure. “There is no reason for municipalities that, in the last elections, already implemented some public policy of gratuity on election day to stop doing so”, he pointed out.
Check out how public transport is this Sunday in 19 capitals
In Rio Branco, buses will start running at 3:30 am, given that, due to the time zone, voting will start at 6 am in the state of Acre. The prefecture will also increase the number of buses in the regions with the largest electoral colleges. In addition, voters who present proof of voting by 5 pm on Sunday (2) will be entitled to free public transport on the way home.
Maceió will have a 50% increase in public transport lines from 7 am to 6 pm. This represents an increase of 600 trips compared to a conventional Sunday. The city already has a free pass on Sundays since April this year. To access the benefit, it is necessary to have the Vamu card, in the Citizen modality.
The city of Manaus assured the free public transport fare for trips scheduled from 4 am to 6 pm on Sunday. The measure also applies to the second round of the election, if any. The municipal government reported that 1,149 buses will circulate through the Amazonian capital.
For those traveling in Salvador, transportation will be free on Sunday (2) of elections, from 6 am to 8 pm. In addition to reinforcing the teams of traffic agents, the buses will operate with a normal weekday fleet, without the reduction that normally occurs on Sundays. The Lacerda Elevator will be open from 7 am to 7 pm and the Liberdade/Calçada Inclined Plan will be open from 7 am to 5 pm.
People from Fortaleza will also be entitled to free access. The measure was approved in the City Council today (30) in an extraordinary session. The free pass is valid from 5 am to 6 pm on voting days, including the second round. There will also be a reinforcement of the bus fleet in 247 lines, with twice the number of vehicles circulating. Twenty-five spare cars will be available at the bus terminals to be used according to demand.
The turnstiles will be released in São Luís, from 6 am to 7 pm.
In Cuiabá, the tariff collection was maintained for the election Sunday. There will be reinforcement of the collective public transport fleet from 5 am until the end of the vote.
Mobility in Campo Grande will have the benefit of being free for passengers from 5 am to 6 pm. In the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, the polls are open from 7 am to 4 pm, considering the state’s time zone. The free pass is also guaranteed for the second round.
Belo Horizonte will carry out a special transit operation and reinforcement of public transport lines. From 7 am, the fleet will be increased on the main lines that serve the polling places in all the city’s regional offices.
The city hall of Belém will interdict roads to facilitate the traffic of voters and has determined that public transport companies put the entire fleet in operation from 7 am to 5 pm.
Buses will be free for Curitibans. The free turnstile is valid for the whole day on the 254 lines that operate in the city. The benefit does not apply to the Tourism Line, which runs through the capital’s tourist attractions and will normally operate with a fee of R$ 50 on Sundays. The fleet will be reinforced considering the same timetable as on Saturday.
In Greater Recife, the fleet will be reinforced, with at least 1,257 vehicles in operation and 370 lines circulating in the region.
Cariocas will have free transport on buses and BRT. The measure is also valid for October 30, in case there is a second round. To meet the flow of people in transit to the polling stations, the fleet will be the same as on weekdays.
In Natal, voters will have a fleet reinforcement and a cheaper rate. The Social Transport Tariff, which establishes a 50% discount on the value of the ticket for urban trips, will be applied.
Those who vote for Porto Velho will have 88 buses available, which are the entire fleet of the municipality, serving the lines and itineraries already provided by the concessionaire that manages the service in the capital.
The free pass is guaranteed for voters in Boa Vista, from 6 am to midnight on Sunday, without the need to present any document. In addition to being free of charge, all bus lines will operate with 100% of the fleet. On regular Sundays, 70% of the fleet enters into circulation due to low demand.
There will be no change in public transport in Florianópolis on voting day. The prefecture said it will operate with the Sunday timetable. A special fleet will be dedicated to extra trips on lines and schedules according to demand.
In São Paulo, the bus fleet will be reinforced with around 2,000 vehicles and a capacity equivalent to that on Saturdays. The five lines operated by Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) will operate with average intervals of ten minutes, but may be reinforced according to demand. The same occurs with the operation of Lines 4-Quatro, 5-Lilac, 8-Diamante and 9-Esmeralda, controlled by ViaMobilidade and ViaQuatro. On the Metro, the lines will operate normally, from 4:40 am to midnight. The fleets scheduled to serve passengers will be the same used on ordinary Saturdays and Sundays, with reserve trains being able to start operating.
In Aracaju, there will be a reinforcement of the fleet, with the inclusion of extra trips, and teams to organize the traffic.
The other capitals did not respond to the request for information from the Brazil Agency.
