The bidding notice for the purchase of new buses for the BRT system of the city of Rio de Janeiro was published today (14) in the Official Municipal Gazette by the Municipal Transport Department (SMTR). The forecast is that with the acquisition, which is part of the requalification project for this entire service, from the second half of the year, the gradual replacement of the old fleet will begin to achieve the expansion of the system by 2023.
Currently, users of Rapid Transport by Bus, or BRT, face problems with over-capacity and lack of buses on several lines that serve neighborhoods in the West and North areas of the capital. With the purchase of new vehicles, the intention is to increase the quality of the service provided and reduce circulation intervals, since there will be a greater supply of buses.
This Monday’s publication refers to the first of two bids that will be carried out by the City of Rio. . The vehicles will have to be delivered from October this year. The second phase of the bidding will take place in the second half of this year and the forecast is to purchase 250 vehicles, with delivery for the second half of 2023. In this case, they are basic models and 21 meters. Altogether, the two bidding stages provide for the acquisition of 557 buses.
Changes
The buses that will be acquired will come with alterations, compared to those that currently circulate. According to SMTR, in the search for better service quality, the new vehicles of the BRT System “will have more robust and resistant doors and a driver’s segregation cabin, to ensure employee safety, following existing practices in other cities around the world.” and providing more security to travel”.
With the support of the Municipal Council for the Defense of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of Rio de Janeiro (COMDEF-RIO), the SMTR considered different ways to increase the accessibility of users, such as allocating one more space for wheelchair users in articulated vehicles. “All buses will also have on-board equipment and systems such as telemetry, GPS and video monitoring, which will allow for more security, better information for users and better fleet management”, added the secretary.
Operation
In addition to the bidding for the purchase of buses, SMTR will publish, in March, the bidding notice for the concession of the BRT operation. The submission of proposals is scheduled for May. Whoever wins will be responsible for the circulation of buses in the corridors, for the maintenance of vehicles and for the management of the garages. As long as the winner does not take over the operation, the City of Rio will continue to run BRT services, through the public company Mobi Rio.
The secretariat informed that during a virtual public hearing scheduled for next Friday (18), from 11 am to 1 pm, the technical conditions that will guide the bidding process will be presented. Those interested in participating can apply for the site of the SMTR.
According to the folder, the new competition format, which separates the purchase and operation of vehicles, “has already been successfully tested in other cities around the world and will allow for the improvement of the service, with greater control by the public authorities, reducing the risks of discontinuity. and more flexibility in terms of fleet availability”.
For the municipal secretary of Transport, Maína Celidonio, the process represents a change in public transport in the capital. “The two bids represent a milestone in the modernization of the BRT and in the transformation of the collective public transport system in the city of Rio de Janeiro”, she explained.
