Rio de Janeiro City Hall delivers 40 new buses and resumes four bus lines in Vila Isabel and the surrounding area.

The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Cavaliere, and the municipal secretary of Transportation, Jorge Arraes, will present 40 new buses this Sunday (June 7th). These buses are more modern, comfortable, and feature the new visual identity of the RIO System. The vehicles will reinforce operations in Vila Isabel and surrounding neighborhoods and will allow the gradual resumption of four lines that have been inoperative since January of this year due to poor service from the Real Auto Ônibus and Vila Isabel bus companies, whose garages were sealed by the City Hall. The operation of the buses will be the responsibility of companies from the Intersul consortium.

– We are taking another step in the process that was our great commitment: to ensure that the bus lines have the same standard as the BRT, with fleet renewal, new buses, air conditioning, and GPS monitoring. Today we are here in Vila Isabel and Grande Tijuca delivering another 40 new buses to a population that has been suffering from a terrible service. There are already 350 new buses in the city this year, we will reach 600 by the end of the year and, next year, another 1.200 new buses, until we renew the entire fleet – stated Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere.

With the arrival of the new fleet, lines 433 (Vila Isabel – Siqueira Campos), 463 (São Cristóvão – Copacabana), 222 (Grajaú – Gamboa), and 439 (Vila Isabel – Leblon), all operated by the Intersul Consortium, will resume service. The resumption will be staggered. Line 433 will return to operation this Tuesday (June 9th). Line 463 returns on June 21st. Lines 222 and 439 will be reactivated on July 5th and 19th, respectively.

"With the return of these lines with a new fleet, the population benefits not only in terms of frequency and regularity, but also in comfort. These are new buses, with working air conditioning and GPS for tracking and monitoring operations. It's the beginning of the transformation we are making to the city's conventional bus lines," stated the Secretary of Transportation, Jorge Arraes.

With this delivery, the city surpasses the mark of 350 new buses incorporated into the municipal fleet since the beginning of the renewal process. After the transformation promoted in the BRT system, the improvements are now advancing on the conventional bus network, raising the quality standard of public transport, increasing the reliability of the operation and providing more comfort to passengers.

On May 24th, the City Hall delivered 100 new buses, all equipped with air conditioning and meeting the new quality standards of the system, to reinforce the operation of eight lines in the West Zone, mainly benefiting residents of Bangu, Santa Cruz, Realengo, and Campo Grande.

In April of this year, 112 new vehicles were added to the municipal fleet, expanding service in regions such as Barra da Tijuca, Ilha do Governador, Bangu, Jacarepaguá, Paciência, and Realengo.

By December 2025, the first 100 new buses had been incorporated into operations in 20 neighborhoods in the West Zone. With the fleet renewal, nine lines serving areas such as Sepetiba, Santa Cruz, Paciência, Cosmos, Inhoaíba, and Campo Grande began operating exclusively with brand-new vehicles and the new visual identity of the RIO System.

Measures adopted after the sealing of the Real Auto Ônibus and Vila Isabel garage.

Given the recurring operational failures reported by the companies Real Auto Ônibus and Vila Isabel, and the resulting impact on passengers, the Municipal Secretariat of Transportation (SMTR) adopted a series of measures to ensure the continuity of service to the public. In addition to sealing the garage, operational adjustments were made, routes were revised, and new services were created to expand the supply and maintain coverage of the transportation network.

In this context, lines 162 (Terminal Gentileza – Leblon), 319 (Terminal Alvorada – Central do Brasil), SV319 (Central do Brasil – Terminal Alvorada), 160 (Terminal Gentileza – Leblon, via Túnel Rebouças), 475 (Metrô São Cristóvão – Leblon), 111 (Central do Brasil – Leblon), 164 (Terminal Gentileza – Leme), and 536 (Rocinha – Leme) were implemented. In addition, lines 109 and 456 had their routes readjusted, expanding their coverage area and contributing to a more efficient operation.

Lines that will resume operation

433 (Vila Isabel – Siqueira Campos)
Start of operation: 9/6
Itinerary: Vila Isabel, Maracanã, Estácio, Lapa, Flamengo Beach, Botafogo Beach, Túnel Novo and Copacabana.

463 (São Cristóvão – Copacabana)
Start of operation: 21/6
Route: São Cristóvão, Leopoldina, Rebouças Tunnel, Humaitá, Velho Tunnel and Copacabana.

222 (Grajaú – Gamboa)
Start of operation: 5/7
Route: Grajaú, Vila Isabel, Maracanã, Avenida Presidente Vargas, Praça Mauá, Saúde and Gamboa.

439 (Vila Isabel – Leblon)
Start of operation: 19/7
Route: Vila Isabel, Maracanã, Rio Comprido, Rebouças Tunnel, Botanical Garden, Gávea and Leblon.

Category:

• News
• Transportation

June 7th, 2026

Appointments: air conditioning GRT bus City Hall of Rio Rio System Villa Isabel