CCR buys Barcas SA for R$ 72 million.
The concession changes hands; the new owner of water transport in Rio officially takes over operations in two months; in its baggage, a debt of R$ 89 million and protests against a 60,7% fare increase at the beginning of March.
247 - Waterway transport in Rio de Janeiro changes hands. One of the largest private infrastructure concession groups in Latin America, Grupo CCR, announced this Thursday (5) the purchase of 80% of the share capital of the concessionaire Barcas S/A – Transportes Marítimos, the fifth largest waterway transport operator in the world. It took two years of negotiations to conclude the R$ 72 million investment. The other 20% remains with the JCR group (Viação 1001). Along with the concessionaire company of the waterway transport system in the state, comes the debt of R$ 89 million. The new owner will only officially take over operations in two months, after approval of the contract by Agetransp (granting authority) and creditors. Currently, the contract runs until February 2023.
Barcas SA currently operates six regular passenger transport lines in Guanabara Bay, carrying 105 passengers per day. In Rio de Janeiro, the CCR group already holds the concession for services on the Rio-Niterói Bridge, the Presidente Dutra Highway, and the Via Lagos state highway.
In early March, fares increased by 60,7%; today the price charged for the trip is R$ 4,50. The company and the state government faced protests from the public against the new ticket price, which was previously R$ 2,80.
Barcas SA transports an average of 105 passengers per day. In 2011, it carried 29 million passengers on 81 trips. The concessionaire has 800 employees, currently operates six lines, has 8 stations and 18 vessels.
The president of CCR Ponte and CCR Via Lagos, Márcio Roberto de Moraes e Silva, will be the new president of Barcas SA. He told the newspaper O Globo that representatives from Barcas are already abroad looking for vessels to reinforce the fleet on the Rio-Niterói line until the arrival of nine vessels that will be purchased by the state government, which also made a contractual commitment to renovate the Rio and Niterói stations.
He also said that he understands the needs of the service and that he will work with two short-term priorities: increasing the supply of transport during rush hour, with the emergency rental of new boats, and improving user comfort at the terminals in Rio and Niterói.
Barcas S/A was granted the concession through a public bidding process in 1998. The current contract has a duration of 25 years, with the possibility of extension for another 25 years. As JCA retains partial shareholding control, there is no need for a new bidding process.
About the CCR Group:
CCR is a holding company controlled by the Andrade Gutierrez, Camargo Corrêa, and Soares Penido groups, which hold 51% of the shares. The CCR Group is one of the largest infrastructure concession groups in Latin America. It currently employs approximately 10 people. It manages 2.437 kilometers of highways through the concessionaires CCR Ponte (RJ), CCR NovaDutra (SP-RJ), CCR ViaLagos (RJ), CCR RodoNorte (PR), CCR AutoBAn (SP), CCR ViaOeste (SP), CCR RodoAnel (SP), CCR SPVias (SP), and Renovias (SP), the latter two through its subsidiary CPC. The CCR Group also operates in related businesses, holding a 38,25% stake in STP, which operates the automatic toll and parking collection service, and a 45% stake in Controlar, the concessionaire that carries out the vehicle inspection program in the City of São Paulo. In addition, the CCR Group is present in the passenger transport segment with Line 4-Yellow of the São Paulo metro, through the ViaQuatro concessionaire, holding a 58% stake in the company's share capital.
About CPC: Companhia de Participações em Concessões (CPC) is one of the companies in the CCR Group and aims to evaluate new business opportunities, operating both in the primary market, through bidding processes, and in the secondary market, being responsible for the direct administration of any new businesses. Since 2008, CPC has held a 40% stake in Renovias, a highway concessionaire in the State of São Paulo; since 2009, a 45% stake in Controlar, a public vehicle inspection service concessionaire in the City of São Paulo; and since 2010, 100% of the share capital of CCR SPVias, which manages 515 kilometers of highways in the interior of the State of São Paulo.