Grande Ilha de São Luís records more than 300 bus robberies in the first six months In the first half of this year, 363 incidents of bus robberies were recorded in the municipalities of Grande Ilha de São Luís, according to the State Secretariat for Public Security of Maranhão (SSP-MA). Despite the reduction in registrations, those who depend on public transport daily still live with the fear of violence. ?Download the g1 app to see MA news in real time and for free. According to the SSP, there was a 26.2% drop in the number of incidents recorded between January and June compared to the same period last year. In 2025, 492 cases were recorded. Working as a bus driver on Grande Ilha for 26 years, Carlos Mendonça knows the challenges of the profession firsthand. For him, fear is part of the routine of those who spend hours driving and transporting thousands of passengers every day. "We feel insecure. Because there is a huge lack of security and it's worrying, right? For us workers who leave home and don't know if they'll come back alive or not", reports the driver. Insecurity worries bus drivers and passengers on the Greater Island of São Luís Reproduction/TV Mirante In 18 years in the profession, driver Carlos Alfredo da Silva states that he has been the victim of robbery six times while at work. He remembers that the situations were marked by moments of despair and left traumas that remain to this day. "We walk along these roads, we stop at stops and when suddenly, the individual enters, announces the robbery and it's like that every day", says Carlos Alfredo. In the last 15 days, a series of bus robberies in the Metropolitan Region of São Luís once again made waves on social media. In one of the cases, during a robbery on a bus on the Socorrão II/Rodoviária line, the driver lost control of the steering wheel and the bus crashed into a pole. Images recorded by passengers show the three suspects fleeing through the vehicle window after the crime. Bus crashes into pole during robbery on Estrada da Mata, in São Luís In addition to drivers, passengers are also among the main victims. Many report having lost cell phones, money and other belongings during robberies. "We get on the bus already scared, because we know that, at any time, a robbery could happen", says Gisleia Silva, hairdresser. Others claim that, even after becoming victims, they fail to file police reports out of fear, lack of time or because they believe that reporting will not result in the criminals being arrested. "I don't feel safe on buses. I'm always scared. There was a time when the bus I was on was attacked when I was returning from school", recalls Marina Coqueiro, a student. Passengers report fear and insecurity when using public transport buses on Grande Ilha Reproduction/TV Mirante For public security experts, underreporting is one of the main challenges in combating this type of crime, as it makes it difficult to plan actions and define strategies to combat robberies. "The consequence of this is that the data does not reflect the reality of the crimes that occur, compromising an entire apparatus of public security policies that can be carried out", explains Maurício Fraga, criminologist. In a note, the State Secretariat for Public Security of Maranhão (SSP-MA) reported that 2026 has the lowest number of records of the entire historical series that began in 2021. The secretariat says that the reduction is the result of permanent actions by the security forces.