This Thursday (18) the People Without Fear Front staged a protest in front of the headquarters of the CCR Group, the parent company of Via Mobilidade, the concessionaire that manages lines 8 and 9 of metropolitan trains in São Paulo. Protesters took banners and posters to the entrance of the commercial building, which is located in the south zone of São Paulo, demanding measures against the constant failures of the service. On Wednesday morning (17), problems in the power system of Line 9 – Esmeralda, which connects the south zone of São Paulo to Osasco, in the western part of the metropolitan region, caused the trains to operate on a single track. Thus, passengers faced more than two hours of delays. According to the dealership, the problem started at 10:17 am and was solved at 12:34 pm. Agreement proposal A month ago, Via Mobilidade presented a proposal for an agreement with the Public Ministry of São Paulo, with a forecast of R$ 87 million in investments. In March, the prosecution had informed that, due to the series of derailments and technical problems registered recently on the privatized lines 8 and 9, it had ended all negotiation of agreements with Via Mobilidade and that it had decided to “take the necessary measures” for the termination of the concession contract. According to Via Mobilidade, the new resources will be applied on five fronts: improvement at the Antônio João, Barra Funda, Presidente Altino, Primavera Interlagos stations, and the implementation of technology that will allow users, in real time, to know the arrival times and departure of compositions. Via Mobilidade, a consortium formed by CCR and Grupo Ruas, won, in 2021, the concession to manage lines 8 and 9, which were maintained by the state-owned Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM). The contract is valid for 30 years. The company also maintains Line 5 – Lilac of the subway system. Constant problems Since the company took over the operation of the lines, passengers have been suffering from constant service failures. In March, an opinion drawn up by the technical area of the São Paulo Public Ministry pointed to the need for emergency measures to guarantee the safety of Line 8 – Diamante, which connects the central region of São Paulo to the western part of the metropolitan region. According to the document, it was still necessary to carry out maintenance and modernization of old equipment. The report was prepared to support the work of prosecutors in the investigation into two accidents that occurred on the line in 2022. In March of last year, a train crashed into a protection barrier at Julio Prestes Station, in the central region of São Paulo. In December, the same train derailed at Domingos de Moraes Station, in the west of the city. No one was injured in either situation. In this Thursday’s demonstration, the Povo Sem Medo Front demanded explanations about the complaints made last weekend that there was a reduction in the time for driver training after privatization. The Agência Brasil report got in touch with Via Mobilidade and is waiting for the manifestation about the protest.
Agência Brasil
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