"Ganha Tempo" is yet another setback for Paulo Garcia.

The city hall must yield to pressure from public transportation companies and eliminate the program that allows users to make up to three bus trips within a 2-hour period paying only one fare; the "Ganha Tempo" program, which benefits the entire population, should be replaced by the free pass, exclusive to students, promised by the city hall last July; companies have always claimed that the resolution creating the program stipulated a fare of R$ 3,00, not R$ 2,70; the mayor is paying the price for populist measures taken at the height of the protests.

December 11, 2013, 13:21 AMUpdated May 27, 2019, 10:19 AM

The city hall must yield to pressure from public transport companies and eliminate the program that allows users to make up to three bus trips within a 2-hour period paying only one fare; the "Ganha Tempo" program, which benefits the entire population, should be replaced by the free pass, exclusive to students, and promised by the city hall last July; companies have always claimed that the resolution that created the program stipulated a fare of R$ 3,00, not R$ 2,70; the mayor is paying the price for populist measures taken at the height of the protests (Photo: José Barbacena)

Goiás247 - The "Ganha Tempo" program, created by Mayor Paulo Garcia (PT) in June, may be discontinued next month. Under this program, public transport users can make up to three bus trips within a 2-hour period, paying only one fare of R$ 2,70. A report by journalist Vandré Abreu, from the newspaper O Popular, in Goiânia, states that the city hall has already admitted the end of the program and that public transport companies are pressuring to end "Ganha Tempo" this month.

In September, Setransp (the companies' union) requested the termination of the program, citing financial losses.

Paulo Garcia launched the "Ganha Tempo" program at the height of the popular demonstrations in June to ease the tense atmosphere that gripped the streets of the capital. However, the companies always claimed that the resolution creating the benefit stipulated a fare of R$ 3,00, not R$ 2,70.

The city hall wants to implement the Student Free Pass in January, and with that, it's practically impossible for companies to agree to maintain the Ganha Tempo (a government service center). One will naturally eliminate the other. Paulo Garcia is already under pressure from organizations, students, and society due to the delay in the Free Pass. The municipalities of Senador Canedo and Aparecida de Goiânia claim a lack of resources to fund the benefit in the Metropolitan Region. This will be another bottleneck for the Workers' Party member, since he was the one who created the unrestricted Free Pass also at the height of the June protests.

2014 turbulent

Currently, the City Hall is facing a property tax crisis. The excessive increase is being rejected by opposition councilors, professional associations, and the public. Paulo Garcia is not expected to back down beyond what has already been done: property tax exemption for properties with a market value of up to R$ 15 and a reduction from 37% to 25% in the increase for so-called special thoroughfares (main commercial streets).

Next year may begin with the hangover from the property tax crisis and the worsening public transportation crisis. Reconciling the end of the Ganha Tempo (a government service center) and the implementation of the free public transportation pass will be an arduous task for the mayor.