The new Rio Barcas consortium, which won the bid in November 2024, will take over water transport operations in the state of Rio in February. Existing vessels and equipment will be used, and timetables and lines will be maintained. In this way, according to the state government, the continuity of transport provision to the population is guaranteed.
One of the main changes in the new model is that the contract will be for the provision of services, ensuring that the Rio government is responsible for monitoring, paying and defining future investments. The revenue from the fare paid by the passenger will go to the state and the new operator will be remunerated based on the number of nautical miles determined from the current schedule.
Another new feature is that the service provider must hire a cleaning system for Guanabara Bay, contributing to the environment and reducing damage to vessels, in addition to providing air quality monitoring stations.
