Politics · Brazil · 2 hrs ago
Bahia electoral court orders full bus service in Salvador
During the second round of elections in Salvador, the city’s bus fleet was cut by more than half compared with a normal weekday.
The reduction came after the city made bus fares free, and election officials said the lower service could make it harder for people to reach polling places.
The Bahia electoral court ordered the full fleet restored immediately, with a fine of 1 million reais per hour for non-compliance.
The court also ordered police to check that the buses were back in service.
The Federal Police decreed the arrest of mobility secretary Pablo Souza over the reduction, according to one account; the court’s order also named the city transport department and bus companies.
The city said service had been normalized on Sunday, after interruptions linked to unauthorized political stickers on buses.
It said Souza had told the companies to keep the full fleet available and that city teams were monitoring operations.
Bahia’s regional electoral court ordered the immediate restoration of Salvador’s full municipal bus fleet on Sunday, October 25.
The order followed a reduction of more than 50% in the fleet compared with weekdays, despite free bus fares during the election.
The court said sufficient free public transport was needed to help voters reach polling stations, especially people with fewer economic resources.
It imposed a fine of R$1 million per hour of non-compliance on the municipal mobility department and bus concessionaires.
Salvador’s city government said bus operations had been normalized and attributed earlier interruptions at some depots to unauthorized campaign stickers on vehicles.
- Who
- Bahia’s Regional Electoral Court ordered the restoration of service. The decision named Salvador’s municipal mobility department and bus concessionaires.
- What
- The court ordered the immediate return of the full municipal bus fleet and set a fine for non-compliance.
- When
- Sunday, October 25, 2026, during the second round of elections.
- Where
- Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
- Why
- Electoral authorities said adequate free bus service was needed to help voters reach polling stations and exercise their right to vote.
Bahia electoral authorities
Salvador city government
Bus service
Bahia electoral authorities
The court ordered the immediate restoration of the full fleet after a reduction of more than 50% compared with weekdays.
Salvador city government
The city said operations had been normalized on Sunday.
Reason for disruption
Bahia electoral authorities
The electoral authorities said inspections found buses out of operation despite guidance to maintain weekday service during the election.
Salvador city government
The city said interruptions at some depots followed incidents involving unauthorized campaign stickers on buses.
The municipal bus fleet was reduced by more than 50% compared with weekday service after free fares were decreed.
Electoral prosecutors inspected two bus depots and found 97 buses out of operation at one and 120 at the other.
Bahia’s regional electoral court ordered the immediate restoration of the full fleet and set a fine for non-compliance.
Salvador’s city government said bus operations had been normalized.
- Fleet reduction
- More than 50% below weekday levels
- Buses found out of operation
- 97 at one depot; 120 at another
- Non-compliance fine
- R$1 million per hour
- Court president
- Maurício Kertzman Szporer
- City mobility secretary
- Pablo Souza
3 sources
What people are saying
The Semob reminds that it is prohibited by electoral law for buses to leave depots with stickers that advertise any of the candidates, and asks for the cooperation of both the population and trade union entities