Fernando Haddad was mayor of the capital of São Paulo and canceled gas emission verification; main candidates to lead the city do not want the system back
Mandatory vehicle inspections for vehicles in São Paulo will not be resumed with the new mayor in 2025. Poder360 found that none of the 4 candidates best positioned in the polls have any intention of resuming the program, which was ended in 2014 by the then mayor of the capital and current Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad (PT).
The candidates Ricardo Nunes (MDB), Guilherme Boulos (Psol), Pablo Marcal (PRTB) and Tabata Amaral (PSB) told this digital newspaper that they have other proposals to improve air quality and contain the wave of smoke in the city. Regarding urban mobility, they all intend to reduce gas emissions by using a fleet of electric buses.
Vehicle inspection was implemented in 2008 and required checking the level of pollutant gases in vehicles registered in the municipality.
With the system in place, owners had to schedule an inspection and correct any irregularities. If the car failed the tests, further repairs were required. Failure to comply with the requirements resulted in a fine and, as a last resort, the vehicle was banned from circulation.
The tests were mandatory for all diesel-powered vehicles and all those over 3 years old (powered by any type of fuel).
The fee charged has varied over the years, but in 2013, the last year the program was in effect (it was canceled in 2014, but there were no inspections), the fee was R$47.44 per vehicle. This amount had to be paid by owners before carrying out the inspection and, after passing the test, could be refunded.
Now in 2024, the amount charged in 2013 (R$47.44) would be R$87.42, if it were adjusted for inflation during the period. Because it is an extra cost for car users, the measure is considered unpopular by politicians – no mayor likes to be classified as someone who increased or created fees. In addition to the cost of the inspection, each driver would have to take their cars personally to an authorized workshop to perform the test – which would take up time for car users.
The idea behind vehicle inspection was to reduce pollution and improve air quality by reducing the sources of pollutant emissions from vehicles.
The program has faced criticism regarding the implementation of the system, the cost to vehicle owners and the effectiveness of the model.
On October 11, 2013, then mayor Fernando Haddad (PT) temporarily suspended vehicle inspections and terminated the contract with the company Controlar, responsible for the system in the capital.
The following year, Haddad canceled the program. The PT member justified it by saying that the inspection “it was a mistake from start to finish” and came to classify Controlar as “slot machine” and “dirty record”. Since then, vehicle inspection is no longer mandatory in São Paulo.
Since Brazil is not a rich country and has an old car fleet, controlling gas emissions in large urban centers is a measure that environmentalists consider necessary. In the case of São Paulo, there would need to be a coordinated action so that all the municipalities surrounding the capital of São Paulo would also create inspections – otherwise, there would be no point in one car being in order in São Paulo if others in Guarulhos or Osasco were not inspected.
Currently, all new cars in Brazil come from the factory with a catalytic converter in the exhaust system. This device absorbs part of the pollutant gases and prevents them from entering the atmosphere. However, as the car gets older, the owner often has to replace the exhaust system – and then buys a cheap device without a catalytic converter (which costs much more).
WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAY
THE Poder360 contacted the 4 candidates who are best positioned in the polls. There was a consensus among them that vehicle inspections should not be resumed due to previous experience with the program. Below is what each one highlights as a justification for not resuming the system and as a solution for improving air quality in São Paulo:
RICARDO NUNES (MDB)
“The city has adopted and will adopt public policies and instruments to achieve good air quality, without burdening citizens with the creation of fees and charges. Our proposal is to electrify buses by purchasing 2,600 new vehicles. We already have the resources, which means 20% of the fleet. We will decarbonize the garbage truck fleet. The Civil Guard will also have its fleet of electric vehicles in the next administration. In addition, the Ricardo Nunes administration declared an area equivalent to 11% of the city’s territory to be of public utility, increasing the area of protected native vegetation from 38% to 71%. São Paulo is the green capital of Ibero-American, has 114 municipal parks and has more than 50% of its area covered by vegetation. In this administration, there are 10 new parks, more than 1 million square meters of regularized green areas since 2021. São Paulo has an Executive Secretariat for Climate Change that brings together actions and programs from various areas, which guarantees a Climate Budget of around R$16.6 billion per year to face these extremes.”
GUILHERME BOULOS (PSOL)
“To reduce pollution levels, one of the proposals is to replace half of the bus fleet with electric or hybrid vehicles, which will have a significant impact, since the main contributors to pollutant emissions in São Paulo (60%) are public and private vehicle fleets.
We will also expand green coverage by implementing green corridors inspired by the experience of Medellin, Colombia, which managed to reduce the city’s temperature by 2°C. We will also plant 6.9 million trees and maintain an updated database on the health of each one, with a QR-Code, similar to the one in Berlin, Germany. This will make it possible to guide management, pruning and removal, when necessary. The work will be carried out in conjunction with universities and research institutions in São Paulo, opening up opportunities for researchers and interns in environmental management and agronomy and urban forestry engineering.
São Paulo needs to be prepared and more resilient in the face of the serious climate crisis. Last week, the city recorded the worst air quality index in the world.”
PABLO MARCAL (PRTB)
“I do not intend to recreate the vehicle inspection system, as the previous experience was inefficient and bureaucratic, with no effect on reducing pollution. Instead, my government plan proposes an integrated approach, with incentives for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles, modernization of public transportation, prioritization of green areas and encouragement of the adoption of clean technologies by companies. In addition, we will develop emission control mechanisms that do not harm the lives of citizens, avoiding queues and fees. With strategies focused on innovative solutions, we can improve air quality in São Paulo in a sustainable and efficient manner.”
TABATA AMARAL (PSB)
“The issue of the environment will be a priority during my administration, and we will pay special attention to the issue of air quality. However, there is a consensus that the experience of environmental vehicle inspections in São Paulo was not positive and there is no reason to resume this policy. Therefore, we will work on other measures. We are committed to expanding the fleet of electric buses and using less polluting fuels. We understand that expanding the number of bus lanes and restoring the reliability of public transportation for São Paulo residents will reduce the number of cars circulating in the city. We will implement more green areas in the city, with priority given to peripheral areas, and we will design a Municipal Clean Energy Policy, focused on public buildings and social housing. We also want to expand the adoption of circular economy measures and attract sustainable companies to São Paulo.
As Mayor, I also commit to implementing the Climate Change Plan. I authored Bill 4129, which provides guidelines for developing climate change adaptation plans. In addition, we committed to the municipal risk reduction plan, which the current mayor only submitted after we took legal action. Finally, we designed protocols, guidelines and public health campaigns for times of air quality crisis, such as the one we have been experiencing in recent days. The city government is currently absent in this regard.”
SMOKE
São Paulo was considered the metropolis with the worst air in the world last week, with a concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere of 72 µg/m³ – 14.4 times the recommended value in the annual air quality guideline of the WHO (World Health Organization), according to the Swiss website IQAir. The situation is considered “unhealthy”.
In addition to pollution, the state is facing a wave of fires, as are other places in Brazil. The governor Tarcisio de Freitas (Republicans) created a crisis cabinet on August 23 to deal with the fires that are especially affecting the interior.
A video shared on social media shows the sky of São Paulo before and after being taken over by smoke from the fires.
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