Politics · Brazil · 2 hrs ago
Lula campaign uses São Paulo bus photo to promote free weekend fares
Lula’s campaign announced a proposal for free public transport on weekends across Brazil and used a photo of electric buses from São Paulo.
The proposal would be sent as a constitutional amendment, but the announcement does not mean the change has been approved.
The buses in the photo were bought by São Paulo’s city government under Mayor Ricardo Nunes, who also took part in presenting them.
Nunes said São Paulo already has free bus fares on Sundays through a program introduced in 2023.
He accused Lula’s government of doing nothing to support public transport and called the proposal politically motivated.
Nunes also objected to the campaign using a photo of the city’s buses, saying it could confuse voters.
The next step is for the proposed amendment to be sent, but no further details about its progress are given.
Lula’s campaign used a photograph of São Paulo’s electric-bus fleet to promote his proposal for free public transport on weekends nationwide.
Lula said on October 15 that he would send Congress a constitutional amendment proposal to enable the measure.
The photograph showed buses bought by São Paulo’s city government under Mayor Ricardo Nunes, who is allied with Lula’s presidential runoff opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro.
Nunes said his city had already introduced free fares on Sundays in 2023 and accused Lula’s campaign of trying to confuse voters.
Former finance minister Maílson da Nóbrega criticized the proposal, saying urban transport is typically a municipal responsibility and estimating its cost could reach R$60 billion.
- Who
- Lula’s campaign promoted the proposal; Mayor Ricardo Nunes and former finance minister Maílson da Nóbrega criticized it.
- What
- Lula said he would propose a constitutional amendment to provide free public transport on weekends across Brazil. His campaign used a photograph of São Paulo’s electric buses to illustrate the announcement.
- When
- Lula announced the initiative on October 15, 2026. The articles were published on October 16.
- Where
- The proposal concerns public transport throughout Brazil. The photograph showed buses parked at the Anhembi Sambadrome in São Paulo.
- Why
- Lula said the proposal would enable free weekend transport. Nunes said his city already offered free fares on Sundays and criticized the campaign’s use of its bus photograph.
Lula’s campaign
Ricardo Nunes
Purpose of the proposal
Lula’s campaign
The campaign promoted a constitutional amendment to enable free weekend transport nationwide.
Ricardo Nunes
Nunes said São Paulo had already made Sunday free fares a reality in 2023 and criticized Lula’s announcement.
Use of the photograph
Lula’s campaign
The campaign used a photograph of São Paulo’s electric-bus fleet and credited the photographer as the São Paulo city government.
Ricardo Nunes
Nunes said it was not right to use a photograph of the city’s fleet and said the campaign was trying to confuse people.
Brazil’s Congress approved an end to the 6x1 work schedule, according to Folha.
Lula announced he would propose a constitutional amendment for free weekend public transport nationwide.
Lula’s campaign used a photograph of São Paulo’s electric buses to illustrate the announcement on its website.
- Proposal
- Constitutional amendment for free public transport on weekends nationwide
- Announcement
- October 15, 2026
- Photograph location
- Anhembi Sambadrome, São Paulo
- Photo credit
- São Paulo city government
- São Paulo Sunday fares
- Nunes said Domingão Tarifa Zero had been in place since 2023.
- Estimated cost
- Maílson da Nóbrega said sector associations estimated about R$60 billion.
2 sources
What people are saying
This government did nothing to help public transport, put in not a cent, only talked and talked and did nothing. I have Domingão Tarifa Zero here; it has been a reality since 2023.
It is not right to come with this free-fare discourse ten days before the election and still try to confuse people by using a photo of our electric-bus fleet. People did not fall for it.
It has to be a service typical of municipalities.