City Hall races against time to announce new bus company in Rio Branco Two days before the end of the emergency contract with Ricco Transportes e Turismo, Rio Branco City Hall announced, this Thursday (2), that it is negotiating the extension of the link with the company for another 30 or even 60 days to guarantee the transition until JTP Transportes, Serviços, Gestão e Recursos Humanos LTDA takes over the operation of public transport in the capital. According to Mayor Alysson Bestene (PP), the intention is to formalize a document that establishes the responsibilities of each party during the transition, including the deadlines for the arrival of new buses, the absorption of workers by the new company and the continuity of the operation until the process is completed. ? Join the g1 AC channel on WhatsApp "We will have a second meeting with the transition team. This team is formed by the city hall, through RBTrans, JTP and Ricco. Through this transition agreement, all these deadline criteria and how this operation will be conducted will be defined and presented in a transparent way to the population", he stated. The city hall's position, however, differs from the company's position. To Rede Amazônica Acre, the co-owner of Ricco Transportes, Bruna Dias, informed that the company does not intend to renew the contract with the municipality. Rio Branco City Hall wants to extend Ricco's contract for up to 60 days Ascom/Rio Branco City Hall According to her, Ricco only intends to receive a supposed debt that it claims to have from the city hall and pay off its labor obligations before ceasing its activities. However, according to the mayor, the expectation is to conclude negotiations between this Thursday (2) and Friday (3). READ MORE: R$5 taxi starts operating in Rio Branco after bus seizure; see how it will work More than 30 public transport buses in Rio Branco are seized by court decision Ufac classes are suspended due to the reduction of the public transport fleet in Rio Branco "Probably, within this transition agreement, there is a provision for an addendum for another 30 or 60 days, given the deadline that will be established for the termination of workers, the absorption of this workforce by the other company and also the arrival of new buses", he explained. The mayor also stated that the objective is to avoid losses to public transport users during the change of operator. "What we want is to have this quality transport offered to the population, which cannot suffer from the supply of quality buses to provide a good public transport service here in our capital", he added. ? Crisis in public transport The negotiations take place amid the crisis caused by the judicial seizure of part of the Ricco Transportes e Turismo fleet. In the early hours of last Tuesday (30), the Acre Court seized part of the company's buses in compliance with a precatory letter issued by the Federal District Court. In total, the decision determines the repossession of 50 vehicles due to the company's debt of almost R$3 million. With fewer buses in circulation, passengers in the capital began to face long lines at stops, overcrowding and increased waiting times. Passengers faced crowding at the Rio Branco Urban Terminal after the seizure of a Ricco bus last Tuesday (30) Hugo Costa / Rede Amazônica The situation also led the Federal University of Acre (Ufac) to suspend in-person undergraduate classes on Wednesday (1st) and this Thursday (2nd). To Rede Amazônica Acre, Ricco confirmed that there are only 48 buses circulating in the capital since Tuesday. In total, each line has only one vehicle. This is not the first time that Ricco buses have been the target of legal action. In July 2024, the São Paulo Court ordered the search and seizure of 16 company vehicles after late payment of bus financing installments. Taxi-pooling As one of the emergency measures, the city hall authorized, from this Wednesday (1st), the operation of the taxi-pooling service. Provided by regular taxi drivers, the transport serves routes between neighborhoods and the Center and charges a fare of R$5 per passenger while the emergency situation lasts. Bus taxis are used by passengers who depend on public transport in Rio Branco Richard Lauriano/Rede Amazônica On the first day of operation, the service divided opinions. While some passengers considered the alternative important to reduce delays, others reported delays in boarding and stated that the wait remained long. VIDEOS: g1