In the comparison until March, records are higher than in 2022 and 2023; survey considers public transport
Brazil had 19 buses burned in 2024 until this Thursday (14th March). Increase of 6% compared to the previous year. There were 18 cases in 2023 and 13 in 2022.
The information comes from a survey of NTU (National Association of Urban Transport Companies). They were sent exclusively to Power360. Here is the full text (PDF – 998 kB).
The most recent cases occurred in Santos (SP), where 2 vehicles were destroyed.
In 2023, Brazil had a total of 105 buses burned. It was the biggest record in 4 years. Read below how the events evolved:
The peak of burned bus records occurred in 2014, when protesters vandalized public transport in protests against the government of Dilma Rousseff (PT). There were a total of 657 cases.
The occurrences in 2020 and 2021 are naturally lower. The circulation of vehicles was limited due to the social isolation caused by the pandemic.
Since the beginning of the historical series, in 2004, Brazil has had 2,825 buses set on fire.
NTU considered municipal and metropolitan public transport buses for the survey – those used on a daily basis by the population. Despite the name, they are usually operated by private companies that have a concession for the service. Vehicles used for tourism and interstate travel do not count.
PREJUDICE
The loss from burning the buses in 2024 alone was R$8.8 million, the association estimated. The majority of the resources (R$8.2 million) would be used to replace transport.
In 20 years, the loss would have reached R$2.8 billion. According to the research, the amount would be enough to build 257 km of BRT (an acronym in English for “bus rapid transit”). The term refers to a road corridor capable of receiving a significant number of public transport vehicles.
The association says that at least 23 people died during the attacks on vehicles. Another 80 were reportedly injured.
IN THE STATES
Bus fires were recorded in 4 states in 2024. São Paulo has 10 of them, equivalent to 53% of the total. The others are Rio de Janeiro (4), Minas Gerais (3) and Rio Grande do Norte (2).
CRIME, SECURITY AND ELECTIONS
As Poder360 showed in this report, the destruction of buses by fire is an issue related to public safety in the country. Many of the cases are linked to acts of organized crime.
There are still the political impacts of the data. The government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) needs to gain the population's trust in relation to its security policies, seen as soft and conniving by the opposition. An increase in the number of burned buses could have a negative impact on the PT administration.
Candidates in municipal elections – especially those seeking re-election – will have to pay increasing attention to public security issues involving their cities. Left-wing parties, which tend to have more strength in the Northeast, could lose city halls depending on the situation in the region's municipalities.
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