Chamber eases Senate demands and passes new rules for bus apps

After reducing part of the requirements that could limit competition in the sector, the Chamber of Deputies approved this Wednesday (15th) a bill that changes the competition model for the interstate and international road passenger transport service.

The basic text of the proposal was approved by 394 votes in favor and 45 against. Now, the bill will return to the Senate, which already approved a version of the text in December of last year.

The Senate version provided for a series of requirements for the operation of companies in the passenger transport market. The text was articulated by senators linked to companies in the sector, such as the president of the House, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG).

The Chamber, however, dehydrated the proposal already approved by the Senate and, thus, withdrew part of the requirements and the section that suspends thousands of interstate passenger transport lines.

Even with the amendments, the text was criticized. “Even so, it harms free competition,” said Deputy Vinicius Poit (Novo-SP). The party tried to block the vote, as there is no guarantee that the Senate will uphold the House version.

The project’s rapporteur, Deputy Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), stated that he had listened to all the actors involved in this matter.

“Associations that represent road transport companies, application representatives, intermediaries and owners of small companies that provide services throughout Brazil,” he said.

He acknowledged that the text may not be “ideal for both sides, because if it were, the text would not be balanced”.

“And we are trying, in this construction of the proposal, to also talk with the government, with ANTT, with the actors who will operate what the National Congress decides, the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate,” he said.

Report published by leaf he showed that Pacheco is linked to two companies in the sector, Viação Real and Santa Rita, managed by his father, and that the senator acted to defend the interests of interstate road passenger transport companies.

At the time, Pacheco sent a note in which he defended the honesty of his performance in Congress. “I don’t manage and I’m not a direct partner in these family businesses. I don’t mix parliamentary activities with personal and professional matters,” he said.

The text in the Senate was reported by Acir Gurgacz (PDT-RO), whose family owns the Eucatur transport company.

In the Chamber, the rapporteur, who is an ally of the President of the House, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), overturned most of the requirements set by the Senate, but maintained others such as the need for R$ 2 million in capital stock and mandatory proof technical and economic capacity for the company to receive authorization to operate in the market.

Arguing that the Senate version would harm free competition, Motta removed the section with criteria for a company to receive the ANTT (National Land Transport Agency) grant.

The Chamber withdrew the requirement that, for the grant, the market in each line should be taken into account and would define the line and times, which, for the Chamber, would leave the authorization in a cast. In addition, there was a limit of 40% of the fleet to be outsourced.

Motta also removed the device that prevented intermediation in the sale of tickets, but kept the ban on individual ticket sales.