95% of buses in the public transportation system do not have the necessary permits
<p><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">The buses run within the City of Buenos Aires, as well as the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The Auditor General’s Office (AGN) explains that some bus companies hold special permits that compel them to guarantee their service to the public at all times, the best way possible. However, it’s these companies with special permits that are breaching the safety regulations the most. Furthermore, these companies are not obligated to meet the requirements of accessibility for disabled persons.</span></p> <div> </div>
The audit shows that out of the 136 bus companies that transport passengers to and from the Buenos Aires City and the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, only six have an up-to-date authorized permit. The report states that the available data is from the National Transport Committee (CNRT), the same agency responsible for “monitoring the fulfillment of all authorizations concerning public transport.”
The audit collected data from the year 2004 through 2010, and found that out of the almost 87% of the permits that were found “in the renewal process, only 4% were special permits”, also known as precarious permits, whose time for authorization renewal “had expired in December 2010”.
The companies who have up to date permits barely reach 5%, even though every single company “had the obligation of regulating their permit situation”. This report, published on December 2012, shows that “the delays involved with the renovation of authorization permits last between one to five years”.
The National Transport Committee (CNRT) is “responsible for controlling the fulfillment of the authorization of permits” that enables “the companies to use their buses in the City of Buenos Aires and the Buenos Aires metropolitan area”. The Federal Planning Ministry, in compliance with the Interior and Transport Ministry is the authority in all issues concerning public tendering of transportation. Special permits are issued only “in extraordinary circumstances in which there’s a need to guarantee public transport system routes”.
Precarious Authorizations
According to the audit, the main goal with the special permits is to encourage the companies to work; however, the audit explains that “this doesn’t guarantee an adequate service”. As a matter a fact, AGN assures that the companies that have these special permits are “the ones that least comply with the service schedules”.
What’s most frightening is that the buses that attained precarious permits due to their much needed routes are “not obligated to meet the safety standards in everything related to disables persons”.
