Maranhão bus drivers demand increased security in São Luís

Representatives from the Maranhão Bus Drivers Union met with the Secretary of Public Security, Colonel Augusta Andrade, and the Maranhão Military Police command to address rising insecurity affecting public transport workers in the São Luís metropolitan area.

The meeting follows a recent incident in the Nova Terra neighborhood, where a police arrest triggered a confrontation. During the unrest, residents reportedly burned tires and vandalized a bus, breaking windows and threatening the driver.

Union president Marcelo Brito demanded reinforced policing across the Grande Ilha to combat crime, noting that many drivers are now fearful of working night shifts. While the Military Police claim that bus robbery rates have decreased, union leadership disputes these statistics, citing the lived reality and recent threats to workers' safety. The union has decided not to withdraw the fleet for now, opting instead to wait for concrete security improvements.