Rio City Hall launches bidding notice for concession of BRT operation

New Conexão BRT buses, which will start operating on Sunday (23/6), were purchased with funding from the federal government - - Archive/City of Rio

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall, through the Municipal Department of Transportation, published this Tuesday (4/4) the bidding notice for the concession of the BRT System operation. The receipt of proposals is scheduled for May 4, at 11 am, at the CET-Rio auditorium, in Cidade Nova. The bidding was planned to offer greater competitiveness to bidders.

The City Hall will provide the new operators with its entire bus fleet and five public garages. The concessionaires will be paid based on the number of kilometers covered and for managing the system’s terminals and stations, instead of the previous payment based solely on passengers. A mechanism will be adopted to monitor performance indicators, including fleet maintenance and punctuality of intervals, to ensure the quality of the service. The operating contract will have a ten-year term.

– This bidding process has major innovations. Companies do not need to make large capital investments, such as purchasing articulated buses, since the City Hall is providing the buses. Another important thing is the creation of public garages, which eliminates any entry barriers for companies outside the city, state and country – commented Secretary Maína Celidonio.

The bidding process will be divided into three lots. The winner of Lot 1 will operate the Transcarioca corridor and Lot Zero of Transoeste (the stretch between the Jardim Oceânico and Alvorada terminals). Lot 2 will cover the Transbrasil and Transolímpica corridors. The operator of Lot 3 will be responsible for Transoeste (the stretch between Santa Cruz and the Alvorada terminal; and Cesário de Melo).

It is worth remembering that the system is currently under the temporary responsibility of the municipal company Mobi-Rio, until the new concessionaires take over management. The new concessionaires are expected to begin operating this year in Lot 1 and Lot 2; and in the first half of 2024 in Lot 3.

About the bidding process

To participate in the bidding process, companies and consortia must meet the technical and economic-financial qualification criteria. The same bidder may participate in one, two or all lots.

The bidder who submits the highest bid for each lot will win. The minimum bid values ​​for each lot are different: Lot 1 – R$138,7 million; Lot 2 – R$125,4 million; and Lot 3 – R$143,1 million. The total value of each contract is approximately R$2 billion.

New operating model

The concessionaires will be responsible for operating the services, maintaining the fleet and managing the system's stations, terminals and garages. Among other benefits provided to those operating the BRT fleet, five garages will be made available to operators by the City Government, equipped with infrastructure and connected to the BRT road network already adapted for operation, which will allow for greater competitiveness. The garages are located in Ramos, Curicica, Cascadura, Deodoro and Paciência.

The concessionaires' remuneration will be calculated by the kilometer traveled and no longer by the number of passengers transported. The calculations will take into account the evaluation of service quality performance indicators and there will be incentives to attract more passengers to the system. Furthermore, as in the conventional system, trips made without the use of air conditioning will have a discount on the amount paid for per kilometer traveled.

Payment to the operator will be made weekly through a tariff clearing house, with the amount collected from the BRT System ticketing fee. If the fee collection is insufficient to pay the contracted kilometer value, the municipality will supplement it with a budget subsidy.

The city government will continue to be responsible for planning services and managing and monitoring operations using automated GPS data assessment systems. It is worth noting that the new Digital Ticketing system, which was put out to tender by the city government last year, will begin operating in the BRT System in July of this year.

More detailed information about the process can be found through this link.

New buses and renovated stations

Last year, the City Hall purchased 561 new buses for the BRT, of which 291 vehicles have already been delivered. The remaining 270 will arrive between November 2023 and March 2024. The Transolímpíca, Transcarioca corridors and the stretch between the Jardim Oceânico and Alvorada terminals are already operating 100% with the new fleet.

In addition, 107 stations in the system have already been renovated. Improvements include replacing glass panels and doors with hollow steel plates; installing built-in wiring; and reinforcing the door mechanisms. The following services were also performed: internal and external painting, new electrical installations, and improved lighting.

BRT System

The entire BRT system is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2024. Adding up the four corridors (Transoeste, Transcarioca, Transolímpica and Transbrasil), there will be 140 stations, 15 terminals and almost 150 kilometers connecting the West Zone, Barra da Tijuca region, North Zone and Center. By 2026, the system is expected to transport around 700 thousand passengers per day – currently, around 260 thousand people are transported daily.

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