Kalil mandates that buses have air conditioning.

Mines 247 - The mayor of Belo Horizonte, Alexandre Kalil, signed a decree determining that public and conventional passenger transport vehicles acquired from now on must be equipped with air conditioning and air suspension. According to the text, published this Friday (3) in the Official Gazette of the Municipality (DOM), only buses compatible with these requirements will be registered in the public transport system.

According to the decree, vehicles already acquired by transport companies that do not meet the requirements will have until next Friday (10) to submit proof of purchase to the Belo Horizonte Transit and Transport Company (BHTrans) prior to the municipal determination.

The head of the municipal executive authorized BHTrans to establish a technical working group to proceed with the necessary technical adjustments regarding decree 13.384/2008, which regulates public transportation services in the capital of Minas Gerais.

Recently, the Labor Public Prosecutor's Office (MPT) filed public civil actions (ACPs) against the State Secretariat of Transport and Public Works (Setop) and BHTrans to reduce the rates of illness among public transport professionals. According to the agency, the most serious illnesses affecting this category are a consequence of excessive exposure to heat, vibration, and noise, three factors directly linked to the front location of the engines in these buses. 

Among the requirements are air conditioning; a rear-mounted, enclosed engine with thermal and acoustic insulation; automatic transmission and power steering; ergonomic seats with headrests for the driver; and seat belts.

The agency had reported that the results of these actions could benefit 25 of the 33 drivers and conductors who work in public transportation in Minas Gerais.