City Hall fines 42 buses for operating without route identification during storm that hit Rio.

The Municipal Transportation Secretariat (SMTR) fined 42 buses from the four consortia operating the municipal system for circulating without proper line identification during the storm that hit Rio de Janeiro last Wednesday (July 29). The infractions were recorded on Av. Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, in the South Zone, and on Av. Presidente Vargas, in the Center, between 6:20 pm and 8:40 pm, a period in which the city faced mobility impacts after the interruption of metro, train and VLT operations due to the meteorological event.

The fines were issued to vehicles that were operating with their electronic signage off or displaying information such as "SPECIAL" and "GARAGE," despite being in regular operation, loading and unloading passengers. This conduct constitutes an infraction of article 23, item X, of Municipal Decree No. 36.343/2012, which deals with the inoperability or malfunction of electronic vehicle identification. The administrative fine for driving with off signs or displaying incorrect information is R$ 644,88.

On Wednesday afternoon, wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h caused trees to fall, power outages, and affected various modes of transportation. With the temporary shutdown of the subway, commuter trains, and light rail, municipal buses became the main alternative for thousands of passengers, making it even more important that the vehicles were correctly identified to guide the public.

The inspection was carried out both in person and through the Rio Operations Center (COR), which used images from the municipal video monitoring system cross-referenced with GPS data from the buses to verify that the vehicles were operating regularly, despite the absence or inaccuracy of the line identification.

The violations involved the four concessionaires of the municipal bus system: Intersul (21 citations), Internorte (16), Transcarioca (3) and Santa Cruz (2).

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30 July 2026

Appointments: notice infringement bus transit