After a number of irregularities involving allegations of fraud in the bidding, the Federal District government admitted that the first stretch of the Brasilia’s Light Rail Vehicle (VLT) will be ready only after the 2014 World Cup.
Budgeted at R$277 million, the work was included in the World Cup Responsibility Matrix, a document that lists the public transport projects that are critical to the progress of the competition.
Because it is included among the World Cup works, Brasilia’s LRV has funding from Urban Mobility PAC (Growth Acceleration Program), which uses resources from FGTS (Government Severance Indemnity Fund for Employees) and provides longer terms and lower interest rates to those found in the market.
Yesterday (April 26), the Secretary for Works of the Federal District, David de Matos, confirmed that tourists and people from Brasília will not have the LRV during the World Cup.
During the hearing in the Special Committee of the World Cup, in the Federal District Legislative Chamber, Matos said that the cancellation of the bid and the 18-month deadline for the delivery of the trains made it impossible to launch the project on time.
The Responsibility Matrix provided that the work would start in March this year and would end in December 2013.
With 6.5 kilometers long, the first LRV stretch will connect Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport to the South Wing of the federal capital. Despite being included among the World Cup projects, the endpoint of the track is more than six kilometers away from the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, venue of the World Cup matches.
Fraud
The problems of government with the LRV began in April 2011. At the time, the Federal District Court has confirmed that there was fraud in the bidding and suspended the works (learn more).
According to the court, the competition was aimed to benefit businessmen linked to the president of the Federal District Metro at the time, José Gaspar de Souza.
Winner of the bid, the consortium formed by the companies Daclon, Altran/TCBR and Veja Engenharia filed an appeal against the suspension in August last year.
The delay in LRV causes a ripple effect. The duplication of the highway DF-047, which gives access to the JK airport, was also included in the World Cup package. However, the project depends on the LRV works to be executed.
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14/02 | News
