ANTT announces suspension of all Itapemirim bus lines

ANTT (National Land Transport Agency) announced the suspension of all bus lines of Viação Itapemirim. The decision was published in today’s edition of the DOU (Diário Oficial da União).

The published ordinance is a precautionary measure, that is, provisional, taken by the superintendent of Inspection of Road Transport Services for Cargo and Passengers of the agency, Felipe Ricardo da Costa Freitas and is valid “until the decision on the merits of an ordinary administrative proceeding or until a fleet compatible with the lines to be reactivated must be registered”, says an excerpt from the text published in the DOU.

The text also informs that the company is allowed to carry out trips already sold for 30 days, counted from today.

In a note, ANTT informed that the decision to suspend the lines was taken “due to operational difficulties in the company’s road transport of passengers”.

“This measure aims to ensure the safety of users and maintain the adequate provision of passenger services. Itapemirim must observe the rights of passengers, including reimbursement of tickets, when requested, or else reassignment to other companies,” the statement said. .

UOL contacted Itapemirim’s press office and is awaiting a response.

On March 31, ANTT had already suspended most of the company’s regular lines, but maintained 26 of them, including routes departing from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to cities in the Northeast.

asset blocking

The TJ-SP (Court of Justice of the State of São Paulo) determined, the day before yesterday, the blocking of the assets of the businessman Sidnei Piva de Jesus, of the Itapemirim Group, and of all the companies opened by him since the beginning of the approval of the judicial recovery plan of the group, in 2016. The decision seeks to ensure that the assets are not squandered and guarantee the payment of creditors.

The Justice also decreed the blocking of the accounts of Silvana dos Santos Silva, Piva’s wife.

The Itapemirim Group has been in judicial recovery since 2016, with tax debts of almost R$2 billion. Creditors have complained that the plan is not being carried out and that the company has diverted money from the companies to finance its airline, Ita Transportes Aéreos. Ita started operating in June 2021, but suspended operations shortly afterwards, in December, on the eve of Christmas and New Year.

In the decision, Judge João de Oliveira Rodrigues Filho, of the 1st Court of Bankruptcy and Judicial Reorganizations, says he is concerned about “possible squandering of assets and possible conduct of the partner in the management of the resources and assets of the companies under reorganization”.

In February, the Justice had already determined the removal of Sidnei Piva from the command of the Itapemirim Group, in addition to the use of an electronic anklet and the ban on leaving the country. But, about a month later, the 1st Court of Bankruptcy and Judicial Reorganizations of the TJ-SP revoked the previous decision, and Piva obtained the right to return to the command of Itapemirim.