Uma análise geográfica das políticas públicas para o transporte aquaviário de passageiros na Baía de Guanabara

Abstract

In the present study, we collected geographic and statistic data from the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan network transport system and its population general traits in order to achieve a geographic evaluation of public policies for the ferry transport system at Guanabara Bay, in Rio de Janeiro - RJ. The research started after the issue: “why the ferry transport system at Guanabara Bay is so irrelevant in spite of its evident geographic potential?” To accomplish the research objective, we made a historical research of the service and its spatial development based on dialectical historical materialism method and on the geographic binomial concept of “territorial network”. Furthermore, we evaluated the functioning of the current private concession model through a welfare state cost-benefit approach using data from concessionary companies audits and income statements. A better characterization of the metropolitan transport system superstructure was obtained towards the reading of public legislation as cities urban director plans, regional plans as the “PDTU” (2015), and national plans as the “Estatuto da Cidade” (2001), aiming to evaluate the coherency degree between them. We could conclude that the major obstacle to the ferry transport modal development and the main cause to its historical abandonment has been the historical lack of interest and investment from Rio de Janeiro State governors and majors. Fulfilled by a strayed understanding about the functions and obligations of the State and enhanced by a neoliberal state ideology, governments have not been taking into account existing city plans, scientific guidelines or even public debates in the decision-making. That has meant relegate the transport policy-making, investment decision and even service inspection to its own concessionary companies and lobbyist executives, mainly from the bussing sector, represented by the “FETRANSPOR” employer’s organization.