A study says that zero-fare public transportation would have a similar positive effect to the Bolsa Família program.

Implementing free public transportation in Brazil's 27 state capitals would inject R$ 60,3 billion annually into the country's economy and could have a similar effect to the Bolsa Família program.

This is the main conclusion of a study released this Tuesday (5) by researchers from the University of Brasília (UnB) and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). 

Click here to see the full research report..

titled Zero Fare in Public Transportation as an Income Distribution PolicyThe research, coordinated by Professor Thiago Trindade of the Institute of Political Science at UnB, argues that this action could help combat racial inequalities.

The study was funded by the Parliamentary Front in Defense of Zero Fare in the National Congress, and has the support of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.  

Immediate liquidity

This free service would be related to metropolitan bus and rail transport. The researchers used data from the 2024 National Mobility Survey and indicators from bus and metro-rail system operators.

The study deducted 24,38% from existing exemptions and free services – such as those for senior citizens, students, and people with disabilities. This represents approximately R$ 14,7 billion already circulating in the economy. Therefore, according to the researchers, the actual injection would be R$ 45,6 billion.

“We are talking about an immediate injection of liquidity into the pockets of Brazilian families. By converting the mandatory spending on travel expenses into disposable income, the State promotes an economic stimulus that returns to society in the form of consumption and tax collection on products,” explains Professor Thiago Trindade.

Indirect salary

Researchers argue that, in the current scenario, zero-fare public transportation could play as important a role for Brazil as the Bolsa Família program did two decades ago, as it could represent an "indirect salary."

This is because free access would benefit vulnerable groups, the Black population, and residents of the outskirts of cities more.

According to the study, free access could be treated as a social right, similar to the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) or public education.

"Implementing zero-fare public transport nationwide would reinforce Brazil's leading role in global initiatives to reduce inequality and deepen democracy." 

Financing

According to professors at UnB (University of Brasília) last year, possibilities for financing a national free transportation policy could include replacing the transportation voucher system with another type of financing, initially from private and public companies with ten or more employees.

The research group estimates that 81,5% of establishments would be exempt from the contribution. "We can implement a zero-tariff program without burdening the federal budget," says Trindade.

* With information from Agência Brasil.