Metro Rio has not yet received the 119 coaches from China

The testimony of the director of Strategic Planning of the Metro, Eloi Conetti, issued this Tuesday (12), during a public hearing at the Commission of Public Works of Alerj (Legislative Assembly of Rio), surprised the legislators. According to him, the company has 119 coaches bought from China in 2007, which should be in operation since last year. However, he reported that there is no forecast of putting them into operation because they have not yet been delivered.
Conetti explained that the concession agreement does not set deadlines for the expansion of the system. However, last week Mr. Pedro Fernandes (PMDB), chairman of the Commission, made travels in times of increased demand and recorded on video the suffering of the passengers.
– Today the metro users also suffer with the air conditioning system that, burdened, is not enough. The House is meeting to give the people what it deserves: a decent treatment.
The Commission wanted to ascertain the source of the problems that affect Metro Rio services. Conetti, in turn, claimed he was not prepared to answer the questions raised by the legislators, but assured that the company has been seeking improvements. He recalled that the last power outage occurred in the coaches, which lasted about an hour, would have been the result of damage caused by rodents in the machine box.
The company survey shows that, at the times of most demand, the metro transports six persons per square meter, a very different reality from that found by Pedro Fernandes.

– It is a great disrespect to this House and to the population affirming that only six passengers make up one square meter in these times. Today we see at least 11 people in the same space, knowing that international standards stipulate a maximum of four.
The congressman said that the limit of passengers in the trains also is not described in the concession agreement, which also does not provide for punishment by overcrowding.
Today, on lines 1 and 2, the metro transports 550,000 people per day, and from April 4, they began to pay US$ 1.94 for the ticket.
For Mr. Gilberto Palmares (PT) this was a readjustment of 11.5%, well above the readjustment of the salary of any occupational category.
– In 2006 a report on accessibility in stations was sent to the Secretary of State for Transport and, since then, there is an exclusive fund for the construction of ramps and elevators in the sites, but the works are stopped.
To the transport manager of Agetransp-RJ (Regulatory Agency of Public Services Granted of Waterway, Railway, Metro Transport and Highways in the State of Rio de Janeiro), José Luís Teixeira, increasing the capacity of the metro depends not only on the arrival of new trains.
– It is important to warn that if there is a proportional increase in the demand, the occupancy rate remains the same, so we don’t necessarily get the improvement of quality.
According to the prosecutor Carlos Andrezano, a TAC (Conduct Adjustment Term) provides for a fine of US$ 6.28 thousand per day for non-compliance with repairs.
– After a breach of this TAC is found, we will apply the fine, which is paid on each item breached.
In the end, Mr. Alessandro Calazans (PMN) proposed that the commission conduct a public hearing in conjunction with the commission of transports to continue the debate. The chairman of the commission intends to invite the Secretary of State for Transport, Júlio Lopes, so he requires the presence of the President of the Metro Rio, José Gustavo de Souza Costa, at the meeting.
Present at the hearing were the commission’s vice-president, Mr. Nilton Salomão (PT), and the effective member, Mr. Thiago Pampolha (PRP), in addition to the deputies Coronel Jairo (PSC) and Altineu Cortes (PR).