Traffic congestion prevents 5 bus trips.

Alagoas247 - Five thousand bus trips are not carried out monthly due to congestion on the main roads of Maceió. This information comes from the planning director of the Municipal Superintendence of Transport and Traffic (SMTT), Jorge Bezerra, who participated in the public hearing for the public transport tender, on the morning of this Thursday (30), in the auditorium of the Tiradentes Integrated Faculty (Fits), in the Cruz das Almas neighborhood.

Bezerra explained that SMTT's intention is to listen to the community and act, from now on, to resolve the main complaint from users: delays in bus trips in the capital. He believes that the implementation of the dedicated bus lane, starting in February, should improve traffic flow and, consequently, reduce travel time for buses.

"Besides improving bus flow, the blue lane should reduce the number of missed trips, which represents a very high number, reaching 17% of the total, all due to traffic congestion in Maceió," says the director. He assures that SMTT is working for the majority of the 300 public transport users in the capital and reinforced that the agency's emergency actions, such as the renovation of terminals and new signage, should guarantee the mobility of the population.

During the hearing, it was revealed that the current transportation system consists of 102 lines, including 86 conventional lines, four complementary lines, eight night buses, and four integrated lines. The average speed of the system is 14 km/h. There is also an interesting fact: 44% of the fleet is up to 5 years old and 29% is more than 10 years old.

PROPOSALS
The purpose of this Thursday's meeting was to discuss the new process for granting public transportation concessions in Maceió. The public was invited to submit proposals for the bidding process, the notice for which should be released in 15 days, as announced by the city hall. One of them was Gildo Santana, a member of the Alagoas Cyclists Association. He said he would request that the bidding process benefit cyclists by improving the main roads and enhancing the quality of life for those who use bicycles as a means of transportation.

"I intend to talk about the importance of cycle lanes and signs in the blue lane, which should have the message 'shared with cyclists'. We can only use the right lane, just like buses. Bicycles on the streets are a global trend and they even contribute to the environment, since they do not pose a pollution risk," commented Santana.

Wheelchair user Luciano Marinho also attended the event with the intention of requesting that buses in Maceió come from the factories already adapted for people with disabilities, with two seats equipped with seatbelts. "Besides the difficulty of finding an adapted bus and a driver who has the patience to assist a wheelchair user, only one seat is far too little," he believes.

Ranilson Cruz, representing the motorcycle taxi drivers, advocated for the regulation of the category during the hearing, although Mayor Rui Palmeira had already stated that this is not a possibility in Maceió.

The superintendent of SMTT in Maceió, Tácio Melo, stated that the hearing would serve to understand the best strategy for the community. "It's a democratic action, to bring users closer, listen to them, and create the premises that will govern the bidding process," he assessed.

Students, representatives from neighborhood associations, city councilors, and union members connected to the road transport sector in Maceió are present.

With gazetaweb.com