Alckmin and Doria's maneuver to "freeze fares" falls apart.
The judge ruled that the freezing of the subway fare was politically motivated and that the adjustment of integrated fares discriminates against some users.
By Rodrigo Gomes, from Current Brazil Network
Judge Paulo Furtado de Oliveira Filho, of the São Paulo Court of Justice (TJ-SP), has issued a preliminary injunction suspending the 14,8% increase in fares for integrated transportation between municipal buses, under the administration of Mayor João Doria (PSDB), and the Metro and train system, controlled by Governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB). In a lawsuit filed by the PT caucus in the Legislative Assembly, the judge also ordered the suspension of the integration fee charged at metropolitan terminals, which ranges from R$ 1 to R$ 1,65.
Although Oliveira Filho excludes Doria from the action, as the request refers to actions of the Alckmin government, the readjustment of integrations was agreed between the mayor and the governor, as a way to minimize the impact of maintaining the basic fare at R$ 3,80. The integration between buses and the metro-rail system would be readjusted from the current R$ 5,92 to R$ 6,80, starting next Monday (9). An increase of 14,8%, well above the 6,4% inflation projected by the Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA).
According to the judge, there is no justification for adjusting the integrated fare while maintaining the basic fare. "The discrimination seems unfair, as the measure is more beneficial to those who live in central areas and use only the Metro, whose basic fare was maintained, but proves burdensome to those who live in more distant locations and use both train and metro, whose integrated fare was increased above inflation," argued Oliveira Filho.
The judge also points to the possibility that Alckmin did not adjust the Metro fare solely for political reasons, so as not to bear the burden of the increase alone, since Doria had promised during the election that he would not raise fares. Every month, approximately 13 million passengers transfer between municipal buses and the Metro and train system.
Alckmin's proposal is that the terminals would start charging R$ 1 for transfers in Piraporinha, Diadema, and São Mateus. These three terminals handle approximately 27 people per day. They connect buses in the city of São Paulo with those using the ABD Corridor, which links the Morumbi and Jabaquara regions in the south and São Mateus in the east to São Bernardo do Campo, Santo André, and Diadema in the ABC region.
The Capão Redondo and Campo Limpo terminals, which connect to Metro Line 5-Lilac, offering buses to Itapecerica da Serra, Embu das Artes, and Taboão da Serra, would start charging R$ 1,12 for those arriving by bus and accessing the Metro, and R$ 1,62 for those traveling in the opposite direction. Approximately 100 people pass through these terminals daily.
The decision also applies to fare adjustments by the Metropolitan Urban Transport Company (EMTU), whose fares will increase by up to 7,5% on the 8th of next month. And to the adjustment of the Integrated Monthly Ticket, which would go from R$ 230 to R$ 300.
But not the municipal readjustment of the temporary tickets, whose basic price will increase from R$ 140 to R$ 190 – a 35,7% increase. The accumulated inflation since the ticket's launch in January 2015 was 26,6%. Nor does it revoke the elimination of temporary tickets in the Student and Transportation Voucher categories, implemented by Doria.
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