Lula campaign seeks free interstate transport for elections

The campaign of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has requested that the Supreme Federal Court (STF) mandate free interstate public transportation on the day of the presidential second-round elections. The request seeks to expand existing STF rulings, which currently guarantee free municipal and intermunicipal transport, to include lines that cross state borders. The campaign argues that lines connecting neighboring urban areas in different states should be classified as urban public transport.

Separately, Lula has proposed a national 'zero fare' policy for buses on weekends. While some Brazilian capitals like São Paulo, Brasília, and Belo Horizonte already implement similar local programs, critics note the massive fiscal challenge of a national rollout. Estimates for such a measure have ranged from R$ 80 billion to R$ 200 billion annually, and the Ministry of Finance has not released official studies regarding the cost or implementation of this proposal.