Companies will appeal the decision that lowered the bus fare to R$ 2,25.
"We will technically demonstrate to the Judiciary that our calculations were made within a municipal law that establishes the rules for defining the values. We based ourselves on technical and mathematical data. We did not follow political criteria," says Adierson Monteiro, president of the Bus Companies Union.
Gabriel Damásio, from Jornal do Dia - Bus companies in Aracaju will appeal the court decision that mandated a reduction in the city's public transportation fare to R$ 2,25. This information was confirmed by the president of the Aracaju Passenger Transport Companies Union (Setransp), Adierson Monteiro, who is awaiting official notification from the court and the Municipal Superintendence of Transport and Traffic (SMTT) regarding the new fare. Setransp's appeal is expected to be filed this week with the Sergipe Court of Justice (TJSE).
"Court decisions must be obeyed, but appeals are possible. As soon as this summons arrives, Setransp will indeed seek the companies' rights, because we provide a public service. To fulfill this public service, we need to be paid, and the source of funding for transportation is the fare. If we don't have a fair bus fare to cover costs, the sector tends to collapse, as has already happened in recent years," said Adierson.
Last Tuesday, a preliminary injunction granted by Judge Simone de Oliveira Fraga, of the 3rd Civil Court of Aracaju, suspended this year's municipal laws that altered transportation fares. In April, the Aracaju City Council (CMA) approved a project from the City Hall (PMA) increasing the fare to R$ 2,45, but there was a reversal last month, due to the wave of public demonstrations, and the fare dropped by R$ 0,10.
The "I Don't Pay" Movement, led by students, filed a lawsuit demanding the revocation of the fare increase, alleging fraud in the cost spreadsheets submitted by Setransp to SMTT. "We will technically demonstrate to the Judiciary that our calculations were made within a municipal law that establishes the rules for determining the values. We based ourselves on technical and mathematical data. We did not follow political criteria," criticized Adierson.