ETAV should start operating in a month

Etav (Empresa do Trem de Alta Velocidade – High Speed Rail Company), State-owned company that will manage the country’s bullet train project, should start operating in a month, said today Bernardo Figueiredo, who was chosen by President Dilma Rousseff to assume the presidency of the company.

In 2010, the Congress approved the creation of the State-owned company, but so far it had not been effectively put to work due to the failure in 2011 of the first attempt of the government to bid the high speed rail among Campinas-São Paulo-Rio de Janeiro.

According to Figueiredo, who had his reappointment to the presidency of the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT – Agência Nacional de Transportes Terrestres) rejected by the Senate in February, the State-owned company already has budget ($3.94 million for that year) and would need to have procedures such as records, formation of council and the rest of the board to begin the works.

“I think in a month we solve it,” Figueiredo said, who was confirmed today by Transport Minister Paulo Sérgio Passos as CEO of the State-owned company.

In ANTT, Bernardo was responsible for the notice to bid for the concession of the bullet train and the main interlocutor between the government and technology companies interested in participating in the project. With his departure, the project almost stopped. He said the agency remains responsible for preparing the notice to bid for the project concession, but it will have the support of Etav to produce the work.

Bernardo said he is excited to continue in the country’s high speed rail project, but does not believe it can be bid any longer this year. It is expected that, after the bidding process, the work lasts more six years.