New Study Quantifies Tarifa Zero, Forecasting R$45.6 Billion in Annual Rider Savings

Overview

• The study, released Tuesday by a team led by UnB’s Thiago Trindade, models free bus and rail in Brazil’s 27 capitals and their metro areas.
• It projects R$45.6 billion a year returned to passengers, or R$60.3 billion when existing R$14.7 billion in gratuities are included.
• A proposed employer contribution of about R$250 per worker in cities over 50,000 residents could raise roughly R$80 billion per year.
• With average fares near R$4.50, a typical round trip would save about R$8 to R$10 per person each day.
• The authors compare universal free fares with a CadÚnico-only option costing about R$58 billion a year and argue the universal model is simpler and more inclusive.