Residents of the West Zone receive 100 new, more modern buses with a new design.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes unveiled 100 new buses this Saturday (December 20th). These buses are more modern, comfortable, and feature the new visual identity of the RIO System, reinforcing operations in 20 neighborhoods in the West Zone. Following the transformation of the BRT system, improvements are now beginning to extend to the conventional bus system, raising the quality standard of transportation in the city.

"This is a very symbolic day because it's the first taste that the people of Rio de Janeiro are getting of what we've been working on for a long time, which is transforming the city's transportation. First, it happened with the BRT. Last year, I committed to renewing all of Rio's urban buses, just like we did with the BRT. These 100 new buses are just a small sample of the more than 4 that will reach this standard. Unfortunately, the problem isn't solved overnight. There are many interests at stake and legal actions. But we are overcoming all the challenges. The population of the West Zone, including Campo Grande, Santa Cruz, going to Coelho Neto, to Marechal Hermes, will already begin to feel this impact significantly from now on. The journeys will be more comfortable," stated Mayor Eduardo Paes.

Paes presented the new fleet alongside Deputy Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere and the Municipal Secretary of Transportation, Maína Celidonio, as well as other municipal secretaries and council members. The group traveled on one of the new buses on the route between Campo Grande and Santa Cruz.

Nine bus lines serving Sepetiba, Santa Cruz, Paciência, Cosmos, Inhoaíba, Campo Grande, Senador Vasconcelos, Santíssimo, Senador Camará, Vila Kennedy, Bangu, Padre Miguel, Realengo, Magalhães Bastos, Vila Militar, Deodoro, Marechal Hermes, Guadalupe, Barros Filho, and Coelho Neto will begin operating with a 100% brand-new fleet and the new visual identity. These lines will also have reduced intervals, providing greater regularity and comfort for passengers.

– I believe this is of great importance to the population, especially to those who have been waiting for the same BRT improvements for five years. This region currently faces the lowest bus service and the most difficult maintenance conditions. Therefore, this delivery represents a significant advance for the West Zone. These buses will provide greater comfort to passengers. In addition to comfort, the frequency of bus intervals will be improved. With a larger fleet, it will be possible to establish more regular and shorter intervals. I also believe that the experience of boarding a bus with air conditioning and good hygiene conditions, as we see in the BRT, will bring a significant improvement in the quality of public transport – said the Municipal Secretary of Transport, Maína Celidonio.

The authorization for current operators of the city's bus system (SPPO) to adopt the unified visual identity of the new RIO System was published by SMTR in the Official Gazette in August of this year. The standardization is exclusive to brand-new vehicles incorporated into the fleet and can only be applied when the entire fleet of the line is replaced by new vehicles. Thus, only completely renovated lines will be able to receive the new layout.
The new visual standardization strengthens the identity of public bus transportation in the city and facilitates the transition to the RIO System.

Routes that will receive a new fleet and have reduced intervals.

Area A – Santa Cruz, Sepetiba and Paciência

– 753 (Santa Cruz – Coelho Neto): interval reduced from 24 to 13 minutes

– 754 (Santa Cruz – Deodoro Terminal): from 15 to 11 minutes

– 756 (Santa Cruz – Coelho Neto): from 12 to 10 minutes

– 757 (Sepetiba – Coelho Neto): maintains 30-minute schedule, with operational reinforcement.

– 870 (Sepetiba – Santa Cruz): from 25 to 18 minutes

 

Area B – Campo Grande, Senador Vasconcelos and Santíssimo

– 731 (Campo Grande – Marechal Hermes): from 15 to 10 minutes

– 765 (Mendanha – Deodoro Terminal): from 40 to 20 minutes

– 826 (Carobinha – Campo Grande): from 40 to 25 minutes

– SN731 (Campo Grande – Marechal Hermes – Night): maintains a 60-minute interval, according to the service characteristics.

The City Hall continues to monitor the operation in real time and reiterates that these actions are part of the ongoing process of reorganizing and improving public transportation in Rio, with special attention to the West Zone — a region historically most affected by insufficient service.

Progress with judicial agreements

The recent improvements to the municipal bus system were only possible thanks to judicial agreements signed between the City Hall, the State Public Prosecutor's Office, and the operating consortia, which allowed for the reorganization and modernization of transportation operations in the city.

Signed in May 2022 between the City Hall, the State Public Prosecutor's Office, and the operating consortia, the first judicial agreement enabled a significant restructuring of the city's bus system. Key measures implemented include a per-kilometer subsidy, the use of monitoring technology, and the imposition of penalties in cases of contractual noncompliance.

As a result, starting in June 2022, the fleet was reinforced with a thousand new buses, 200 lines were created or reactivated — including 65 night routes — and service was resumed at more than 800 stops, focusing on the most deprived regions.

A new judicial agreement was signed on April 30, 2025, again between the City Hall, the State Public Prosecutor's Office, and the four consortiums responsible for operating bus lines in Rio. This enabled the new bidding process for the municipal transportation system, previously scheduled for 2028, to be brought forward. Operational quality is now assessed quarterly using the Transportation Quality Index (TQI), which considers criteria such as: number of violations, quality of service, passenger satisfaction, average fleet age, availability of air conditioning, regular trips, and penalty-free operation. Companies with a TQI below 0,8 may lose their exclusive rights to the lines they operate.

New bids

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall has launched the first phase of the new bidding process for the RIO System – Integrated Bus Network, initiating the renewal of municipal transport in the West Zone, with three lots in Santa Cruz and Campo Grande and an estimated investment of R$ 500 million. The public bidding session is scheduled for February 6th of next year, at 11 am, at the CCPAR headquarters in the Saúde neighborhood. The winners of the bidding process are expected to begin operating in April 2026.

Current stage of the bidding process.

Three lots will be auctioned: one in Santa Cruz and two in Campo Grande.
– Projected investment: R$ 500 million.
-Concessions will be valid for 10 years, renewable for another 10.

Dealerships will be responsible for:

– Fleet acquisition and operation.
– Vehicle maintenance.
– Management of public garages.
– Installation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for real-time monitoring.

Garages and compensation model

Each lot will have a public garage.
The new model provides for remuneration per kilometer driven, with public subsidy.
– Quality will be measured by the Transportation Performance Index (IDT), evaluated quarterly.

Features of the new fleet

– Fully accessible fleet.
Air conditioning, low floor in basic vehicles, and three doors.
– Accessibility ramp and Euro VI technology (lower pollutant emissions).
– Elimination of cash payments on board: ticketing exclusively electronic.

Next stages

The subsequent stages of the bidding process will be organized by region, prioritizing areas with the worst operational performance. The new model divides the city into 34 lots—22 structural and 12 local—which will allow for expanded coverage and more efficient line management.

 The full schedule includes:

– Phase 1: until April/2026 (Campo Grande and Santa Cruz)

Phase 2: until September 2026 (West Zone, Vila Isabel and Ilha do Governador)

– Phase 3: until April 2027 (West Zone, Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá and North Zone)

– Phase 4: until November 2027 (West Zone, Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepaguá and North Zone)

– Final phase: September/2027 to August/2028 (South Zone and lines in other regions with a good service evaluation index)

Category:

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December 20, 2025

Appointments: City of Rio de Janeiro bus Transportation West zone