The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), announced this Wednesday (28) that the fare for municipal buses will not increase in 2023 and will remain at R$4.40.
The state government also decided to freeze the value of public transport tickets for the subway and CPTM lines, information officially confirmed by the press office of the elected governor, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans).
Nunes communicated the decision to the press during the public agenda for the inauguration of a new dental care center. He pointed out that the transport tariff will not increase for the third consecutive year.
“We evaluated, with our team, that it is important [não aumentar o valor da tarifa], even if the City Hall allocates more subsidy resources. But that we encourage public transport. This improves traffic in the city, improves the issue of the environment with regard to pollution caused by vehicles”, he highlighted.
The mayor of São Paulo and Tarcísio had been negotiating the maintenance of the rate for weeks. To the newspaper “O Estado de S. Paulo”, in early December, the governor-elect said he had committed to maintaining the current value at least in the first year of management, as it was a campaign commitment.
This Wednesday, Nunes admitted that possibly the municipal subsidy will be higher in 2023, but said that the amount will depend on different factors, such as the number of users and variation in the cost of fuel. “[Em 2023, o município] It will contribute more resources from the subsidy, but very aware of its responsibility.”
According to him, almost half of the value of operating municipal buses was subsidized by the City Hall in 2022. About R$ 5.2 million came from the fare, while approximately R$ 4.7 million came from municipal resources.
Linked to the municipality and manager of bus transport, SPTrans calculates that most of the cost of municipal public transport will be borne by the City Hall. It is estimated that the amount collected through the tariff will remain at around R$ 5 billion, while R$ 7.4 billion will need to be subsidized by the municipality.
Nunes recently asked SPTrans to carry out a study on the economic, financial and legal viability of implementing the zero tariff [também chamada de “passe livre”] in the city. Although he officially states that the measure is under evaluation, he has discussed the issue in meetings and with various authorities, including opposition councilors.
On the other hand, even after a court ruling, the mayor resisted restoring free tickets for seniors aged 60 to 64 in the city, which was resumed on December 15. Nunes is a likely candidate for re-election in the 2024 election.
Source: CNN Brasil
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