Santo Tomé and São Borja bus service ends due to toll dispute

The cross-border bus service between Santo Tomé, Argentina, and São Borja, Brazil, has effectively ended following a failure to secure toll exemptions for public transport. Efforts by bilateral authorities to reactivate the service through the company Río Uruguay have been dismissed after a recent session of the Binational Chamber of Councilors.

The disruption began on December 6, coinciding with the transition of the 'De La Integración' International Bridge from Mercovia S.A. to the Brazilian firm SC Rodovias Mercosul. While previous agreements allowed for toll-free passage for essential bus services, the new concessionaire has not extended this benefit.

The Argentina-Brazil Mixed Commission (COMAB) issued a ruling stating that the authority to charge or waive tolls rests exclusively with the private concessionaire, SC Rodovias Mercosul. Consequently, COMAB and the Control Delegation (DELCON) have distanced themselves from responsibility regarding the service's suspension. In the absence of public transport, commuters are currently relying on private transport services like Uber and remises, which incur higher costs.