Transfer of the Single Ticket for Metro and CPTM fell 86% and favored privatized lines

Published 05/09/2024 16:15 | Edited 05/09/2024 16:35

The effects of privatizations on São Paulo’s public transport system are increasingly evident and harmful, especially when it comes to the transfer of resources from the Bilhete Único (BU) to Metro and CPTM. Unpublished data obtained by UOL via the Access to Information Law reveal a dramatic drop in transfers to public companies after the concession of lines to the private sector.

In 2018, before the concessions of lines 5-Lilac, 8-Diamante and 9-Esmeralda to ViaMobilidade, Metrô and CPTM received approximately R$1.8 billion from BU. However, in 2023, this transfer plummeted to just R$260 million, while lines operated by private concessionaires saw their transfer rise to R$2.3 billion.

Analysis of these numbers reveals an alarming disparity: while Metrô and CPTM transported more than twice as many passengers (1.23 billion), they received significantly less resources (R$460 million) than the private concessionaires, which transported around 500 million passengers and received R$2 billion.

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The Bilhete Único represents the main source of fare revenue for public transport operators in São Paulo, totaling R$7.1 billion in 2023. However, private concessionaires have priority when it comes to receiving their share of this amount, leaving Metrô and CPTM with a substantially smaller part.

This distortion in transfers has direct consequences for the finances of public companies, which face an increasing financial imbalance. To compensate for the losses, the State needs to intervene through a “tariff recovery” agreement, injecting additional resources into the Metrô and CPTM coffers, which has already totaled almost R$600 million in 2022.

In addition to the financial impacts, privatizations have also generated operational problems, such as frequent failures, delays and overcrowding of wagons, as evidenced on the lines operated by ViaMobilidade and ViaQuatro. These problems compromise the quality of service provided to the population and contradict the promises of efficiency made by defenders of privatization.

Read also: Privatized train lines have three times more failures

The far-right governor’s announcement to move forward with the privatization of other sectors, such as water, sanitation and rail transport, raises additional concerns about the future of public services in São Paulo. Resistance against privatizations and the defense of the population’s interests are becoming increasingly urgent, requiring the mobilization and organization of civil society and workers to guarantee accessible, safe and quality public transport for all.