The end-of-year festivities in Brazil traditionally feature a considerable increase in the flow of vehicles on the roadsand in Bahia it is no different. To meet demand, special schemes are offered at the capital’s exit terminals and security has been reinforced on the roads that cross the state.
At the Salvador Bus Station alone, a total of 353,007 people must embark and disembark at the terminal until December 31, according to an estimate by the State Agency for the Regulation of Public Energy, Transport and Communications Services of Bahia (Agerba). The number marks an increase of 16.38% compared to the same period in 2023.
On the ferryboat, which makes the sea crossing to the Island of Itaparica, the special service began on December 19th and will only end on January 6th, 2025. Internacional Travessias, the company that operates the system, expects an intense flow, similar or even higher than last year. The expectation is for an increase of 5% compared to last year, when approximately 423,575 people and 64,526 vehicles used the services during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
For the federal roads that cross Bahia, the Federal Highway Police (PRF) began the special Christmas operation on December 20th, scheduled to end on Wednesday (25th).
At some points, due to a greater history of accidents during this period of the year, there will be special attention, including reinforcement of staff. Examples include BR-324, which concentrates the largest flow of vehicles, especially in the stretch between Salvador and Feira de Santana, and BR-101, due to municipalities with great tourist attraction. The expectation is for an increase of approximately 22% in vehicle traffic.
The Specialized Road Policing Command (CEPRv) will reinforce the military troops in the security of Bahia’s roads. There will be 178 police officers employed in preventive, overt, intelligence and daily blitz actions. The CEPRv special operation began this Sunday (22) and will continue until January 2, 2025.
The road policing soldiers will work in 66 vehicles, in addition to the administrative units of the Road Policing Battalion (BPRv/Salvador) and the Independent Road Policing Companies (CIPRvs) of Barreiras, Brumado and Itabuna.
The operation is focused on curbing crimes on the roads and preventing accidents, in addition to inspecting vehicles, documenting drivers and capturing criminal suspects.
The units will also be monitored by the Facial Recognition and License Plate Systems of the Public Security Secretariat during the operation. During the period, it is estimated that 1.1 million vehicles circulated on the highways that cross Bahia.
