Truck driver argues for free tolls on highways.
In an interview with TV 247, truck driver Lucas Ramos defended an incentive package for the category during the coronavirus pandemic "to encourage truck drivers to be on the road because they will be taking a risk." Watch
247 - Truck driver Lucas Ramos spoke to TV 247 about the coronavirus crisis and demanded a government incentive package for the category that ensures the supply of goods to Brazilian cities during the pandemic.
Ramos suggested waiving tolls and subsidizing fuel to encourage truck drivers to continue working. "What I think the government should do now is put together a package for truck drivers, to encourage them to stay on the road because they're going to take a risk, by waiving tolls, making it toll-free throughout Brazil, and trying to subsidize diesel."
Lucas Ramos assured that the category will not go on strike, even for the economic interests of the companies. “There won't be a strike, there's no way there can be a strike now. The main issue for truckers is diesel fuel, and diesel fuel is even going down because of the coronavirus, it's going down all over Brazil. So, some independent drivers might stop to go home, to protect themselves against the disease, but the companies, now that they'll have a slightly better profit margin, will push the drivers to go on trips. There won't be a strike, there's no risk of a strike.”
He also said that there will be no shortages. "There won't be shortages; there might be, as companies are shutting down, there might not be enough product to transport, but not due to a lack of trucks. There might be one or two isolated cases in Brazil, of a handful of far-right radicals who want to try to create a commotion to cause panic, but it won't stop production."
Lucas Ramos shared his observations regarding the quarantine while traveling around Brazil. According to him, the majority of the population is making an effort to maintain social isolation during the pandemic. "The vast majority of the population wants to respect the quarantine, but since our president is trying to dismantle it, his voters want to go back to work, they want to return to their jobs."