The São Paulo City Council held, on Friday (7), a public hearing to discuss the regulation of the motorcycle taxi service in São Paulo.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Uber Brasil, 99 and the movements of motorcycle taxi drivers and motoboys.
The debate was promoted by Councilwoman Amanda Paschoal (PSOL-SP) and united councilors on the left and right, with the presence of Luana Alves (PSOL), Renata Falzoni (PSB), Silvia Ferraro (PSOL) and Lucas Pavanato (PL). The Secretary of the Civil House, of the management of the mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), Enrico Misasi, was invited to the meeting, but did not attend.
“We have to regulate the service, but the priority here is to allow you to work,” said Pavanato. He also promised to “give everything on the pitch” to defend motorcycle taxi drivers.
Councilwoman Silvia Ferraro of the feminist bench defended regulation to “guarantee your right to work, but work with social rights and labor rights,” he said in speech directed at motoboys.
According to Paschoal’s request, the purpose of the hearing was to “ensure workers’ participation in updating the regulation of motorcyclists use services, for paid passenger transport”.
The debate was marked by protests by motorcycle taxis. Shouting, they praised the 99 and Uber, and cursed Nunes as a “coward”, besides chanting “we want to work” several times. The demonstrations even interrupted the speech of the guests.
Early on, Amanda Paschoal said she filed, on Friday (7), one.
In the bill, the councilwoman states that “the City of São Paulo and Ricardo Nunes cannot, at the same time, refuse to dialogue on the regulation of a service that is already a reality, not only in our municipality, but in all national territory, and penalize workers, either with fines or with seizure of their motorcycles ”.
Return proposal for services
At the request of Junior Freitas, leadership of the motoboys movement, lawyer Kauê Rangel submitted a proposal to the councilors present to see the possibility of professionals resuming motorcyclexes.
According to Rangel, the proposal would still have to undergo an approval and then go to the sanction or veto of the mayor of Sao Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, and, depending on how it is written, could still be necessary a decree to enter into force.
“The proposal to continue this work, to release this modal, is to provoke the Public Prosecution Service to promote a TAC (Conduct Adjustment Term), so that we can create a transient agreement that guarantees safety, a minimal and healthy rate for all Motorcyclists, so that we can continue to provide all these types of services, to guarantee the economic freedom of companies, guarantee labor law to motorcyclists and the right to come and go of the population. So, to bring an objective proposal, while a regulatory law is discussed, it is for a TAC to be formulated between all parties, so that we can continue this service and continue in society, ”explained the lawyer.
However, the Attorney of the Labor Prosecutor, Rodrigo Castilho, said that there is no way to sign the agreement proposed by lawyer Kauê Rangel, as there is a current court order that suspends the services.
Debate between the parties
Senior manager of government relations at 99, Irina Frare Cezar, said that “all women and all individuals should be able to access this means of transport”, referring to motorcycle taxes.
“The first facet ignored is the benefits that this category brings to motorcyclists, who are being unfairly punished by the government, with illegal and abusive fines. For more than half of them, the motorcycle is the only source of income that supports, on average, three dependents, these are families, today, who are being most affected by seizures, ”added Irina.
In the week that 99 launched the “99 Moto” service, the São Paulo City Hall seized nine such vehicles during an inspection action against passenger transport in motorcycles per application.
According to the City Hall and the Secretariat of Urban Mobility and Transport, about 307 motorcycles have been seized since early January. In addition to the seizures, the motorcyclists were being charged with fines around $ 7,000.
For Uber, which also presents the motorcycle taxi service, the position is to “open the dialogue”.
“Uber is here to open the dialogue and participate in the dialogue. The platforms have come to intermediate something that is reality, what is not possible is for the city to ignore reality, ”said Pedro Santos, Uber’s public relations professional.
Santos also stated that a survey by the company, together with Datafolha, reveals that 85% consider that motorcycle app, whether Uber or 99, is a good alternative in the face of lack of public transport, and that 88% agree that the bike is used for short route.
The survey, according to the Uber representative, should be released in the coming days.
Then Gilberto Almeida do Santos, president of Sindimotosp, stated that it was against the services of 99 and Uber.
“My focus here is the pick of these companies like 99 and Uber. What 99 and Uber are doing here in Sao Paulo is a crime, ”he said.
The president of Sindimotosp was the target of many protests by the workers present at the hearing, who said: “The union does not represent us.”
Government wants the prohibition of services
The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, wants to ban mototaxi services in São Paulo. For the manager ,.
The services were offered in the capital by 99 and Uber, even without agreement with the city. They are currently suspended by court order.
For André Porto, executive director of the Brazilian Association of Mobility and Technology (AMOBITEC), the ban on motorcycle app is illegal.
“The ban on motorcycle app in the city of São Paulo is illegal. We will continue to support this position and we have absolute conviction that, from a legal point of view, it does not support itself. We know that there is a court decision, which is unfortunately precarious, not only in the legal sense, but that does not face the arguments that are brought deep into the issue. Our request, as an association, is that this ban is suspended because it is illegal. Suspended immediately, ”said Porto during the hearing.
Already the Attorney of the Public Prosecution Service, Rodrigo Castilho, questioned the responsibility of the companies and defended the regulation of the service.
“It has a political dispute in the city of São Paulo. The city understands that there is no way to allow this activity in this current scenario, where there is no regulation, many accidents… and, on the other hand, the legislature wants to regulate, to establish the parameters and the companies say that “only I can… I, I, App, I can. […] I am seeing that most here are supporting companies, the prosecutor is not against companies, but what are the responsibility of companies for this dangerous activity? ”Said Castilho.
Junior Freitas, leadership of the motoboys movement, criticized Nunes’s speech about motorcycle taxes result in a “carnage”. He also called the mayor of São Paulo coward for not attending the hearing or send someone from the city to the meeting.
“We want security, what we cannot admit is that application companies get away from their responsibilities and give us the necessary security, and that the mayor give us the necessary security, because if the traffic of Sao Paulo is violent, It’s because he is an inefficient mayor, ”said Freitas.
“Mayor Ricardo Nunes is a coward because he did not send anyone to discuss with the workers. This is a cowardly role. It shows that he has no firm pulse or his own decision. He was afraid, rolled up, ”he added.
CNN sought the São Paulo City Hall to comment on the absence of the Secretary of the Civil House at the public hearing and the criticism for Ricardo Nunes. Until the publication of this article, there was no position. The space is still open.
