Bus drivers paralyze transportation in the West Zone.
Approximately 200 employees of Viação Andorinha, in Bangu, in the western zone, prevented vehicles from leaving the garage, affecting thousands of passengers who use the bus lines to commute to work; the bus drivers' strike is due to delays in payment to drivers and conductors; Rio Ônibus, the union representing the companies in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, informed in a statement that "the Santa Cruz Consortium has activated an emergency operational plan to cover the lines served by Andorinha".
From Agência Brasil
Approximately 200 employees of Viação Andorinha, in Bangu, in the west zone, prevented vehicles from leaving the garage today (3), affecting thousands of passengers who use the bus lines to get to work. The bus drivers' strike is due to the delay in payment of drivers and conductors.
The Rio Ônibus union, which represents bus companies in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, stated in a note that "the Santa Cruz Consortium has activated an emergency operational plan to cover the routes served by Andorinha." The union emphasized that "the other companies in the consortium will take over these routes to regularize operations and avoid harming passengers. Viação Andorinha has been facing financial difficulties and is suffering from competition from alternative transportation in the western zone of the capital of Rio de Janeiro," the union representatives stressed.
The company is responsible for 15 lines that run between the western zone and the suburbs, as well as the city center. In the morning, the best option for workers living in the areas impacted by the strike was to use the Supervia trains, the operator of urban train services in the metropolitan region, which were running at regular intervals of between ten and sixteen minutes on all lines.