The Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of São Paulo (MPSP) informed this Thursday (30) that it ended all negotiation of agreements with Via Mobilidade – the company that won the concession of lines 8 and 9 of the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) – and decided to “take the necessary steps” to extinguish the privatization contract. According to prosecutor Silvio Marques, the MP’s actions cannot be detailed now and will be known within 15 days. “We ended negotiations with the company, we are not going to sign any kind of agreement with Via Mobilidade, because we already had many conversations and they said they were going to solve the problems and they didn’t”, he said. “As a result, also as a result of the derailment that occurred today, there is no other alternative, therefore, but to leave negotiations with the company and, unfortunately, we will have to take the necessary measures aimed at the termination of this contract”, he added, in press conference at the MP headquarters, in the center of São Paulo. This morning, another train operated by Via Mobilidade derailed, this time near Júlio Prestes station, in downtown São Paulo. There were no injuries. According to the MP, this was the sixth derailment since Via Mobilidade, from the CCR Group, took over the operation of the lines, in January 2022. According to officials heard by the agency, however, another four episodes may have occurred without disclosure, which would total ten derailments in the period. “We cannot wait for a serious accident to occur with people dying. Today it has already been something very serious, in short, all these derailments are serious. Derailments are not common anywhere in the world, there is no reasonable explanation”, highlighted the promoter. According to Silvio Marques, the MP’s decision to act to extinguish the contract with Via Mobilidade was taken based on two reports produced by experts from the Operational Support Center, from the Public Ministry itself. According to him, in one of the reports, concluded last Monday (27), it was clear that the company is not complying with the contract. “It became clear that there are structural problems that Via Mobilidade cannot solve, basically in relation to the permanent way, that is, the lines, but also in relation to the railway material, the trains, not to mention the maintenance of stations and several other related aspects. management, in particular the lack of personnel trained enough to keep this concession up to date.” Silvio Marques also stressed that the MP already has all the elements to ask for the termination of the contract with Via Mobilidade, and that the decision of the body will occur independently of any other action by the state government. “That last technical opinion was really missing, which was ready on Monday. There is nothing more to hope for as the situation only gets worse. We cannot wait for a more serious accident to occur and only then take some kind of measure. These measures by the Public Ministry must be taken in the next 15 days, regardless of the measures that the state may also take.” The solution pointed out by the promoter to resolve the issue is that the two privatized lines start to be operated either by another private company, chosen through a new tender, or that it returns to be managed by CPTM. “If another company fails to [gerir as linhas], I’m sure CPTM can do it. It has human material, equipment, expertise. Anyway, I managed these two lines with less problems. So, either by CPTM, or by another company also contracted through a bidding process, we understand that this is the solution that must be taken”, he said. The prosecutor added that the MP will not accept any type of “readjustment” in the state government’s contract with Via Mobilidade. “Any attempt to rebalance this contract will be considered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office as administrative improbity.”
Agência Brasil
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