Overview
- Touting a model with shared funding by federal, state and municipal governments, Congressman Jilmar Tatto says he persuaded Lula in August and that the government may propose a voluntary program by bill or provisional measure after Finance and Cities ministries finish studies in 2025.
- An industry estimate from NTU places the annual cost near R$75 billion for buses and roughly R$90 billion with metro and rail, and the association backs fare-free transit only with guaranteed, permanent funding and maintained service quality.
- A preliminary UnB/USP report sent to the Finance Ministry says a data blackout and unaudited contracts make precise national costing unfeasible and warns that current passenger-based payment models risk higher transfers without better service.
- NTU and policymakers discuss a National Mobility Fund on a SUS-like model and potential revenue sources such as a revamped vale‑transporte, charges on road use and curbside parking, and fuel levies directed to mobility.
- Municipal adoption keeps expanding—more than 130 cities report full fare-free systems and about 170 use full or partial models—though analysts put a national price range at R$70–120 billion and note better feasibility in smaller cities, with critics urging city-by-city evaluation over a federal mandate.