"We are not interested in buses purchased through tenders. The tenders are a load of corruption," criticised Rolando Zuccolillo, president of the Federation of Transporters of the Metropolitan Area, somewhat harshly.

The head of the Vice Ministry of Transport (VMT), Emiliano Fernández, is in the process of socializing his public transport reform plan, the preliminary draft of which is still not public.

According to his statement, the main change involves a radical modification of the business model.

The vice minister indicated that they will no longer award the routes to companies that have buses, but rather they will separate the contracts and award them, via tenders, in the following three areas: Purchase of buses, which will be made available to the concessionaire responsible for the operation, Awarding of operations, the businessmen will compete for the concession of previously designed routes, according to the needs of the passengers, with georeferenced demand data, in addition to the awarding of the buses for their operation. Parking lot, the location of the traditional
Bus stops will be selected strategically and according to the needs identified by the VMT.

It is also proposed that a trust be created “to guarantee the sustainability of the system, traceability and efficient use of funds, with the support of the Development Finance Agency (AFD).” All income from the transportation system will be allocated to this fund to meet obligations, from the purchase of buses, operating costs and
distribution of dealer profits.

On these main points of the reform, Rolando Zuccolillo, president of the Federation of Transporters of the Metropolitan Area (Fetram), expressed his distrust in the tender for the purchase of buses that will later be made available to businessmen for their operation.

He explained that the tenders are cumbersome and full of anomalies and cost overruns that, in the end, are paid for by all taxpayers in the country with their taxes.

“We are not interested in buses purchased through tenders. The tenders are a load of corruption,” he criticised somewhat harshly.

He added that the sector he represents is interested in making its own financial arrangements with its trusted distributors, “and we are going to solve the fleet provision in our own way. If someone else wants to operate the state buses, God bless them,” he said ironically.

Zuccolillo added that his lack of interest in the planned operation to purchase the buses.

The plan aims to acquire 1,000 units, which will be purchased by the State as part of the reform of the public transport system, with which they want to renew and expand the fleet in circulation in the Metropolitan Area.

“I can see what they are going to do. They are going to get some friend who has cheap buses and they are going to buy them for double the price of my buses and they are going to say, ‘Hey, Rolo, drive this crap.’ I am not going to do that and I am not willing to argue,” he said.

The amount of money that will be used for these purchases was sought, but the vice-minister simply reported that he did not yet have that information. He added that he estimates that around US$ 300 million will be needed to implement the entire plan.

The comments of the other transport unions were attempted to be obtained, but they have not yet agreed to make them public. These were the Center of Passenger Transport Entrepreneurs of the Metropolitan Area (Cetrapam), chaired by César Ruiz Díaz, and the Single Central of Transport Entrepreneurs of the Metropolitan Area of Asunción (Ucetrama), whose representative is Andrés Mallada. The latter promised to make statements after fulfilling some commitments.

Finally, Zuccolillo stressed that reform is needed now and that Fetram is ready to support it.