English.news.cn 2014-03-14 13:17:08
BRASILIA, March 13 (Xinhua) — Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced a 3.8 billion-real (1.6 billion-U.S. dollar) investment on Thursday to improve public transport in seven cities.
The money will be used to build subway and train systems that would properly link with bus networks in seven major cities, said Rousseff.
She blamed her predecessors in the 1980s and 1990s for the lack of public transport infrastructure in cities. “We have to make up for lost time,” she said.
“A city without a high-quality public transport system becomes dysfunctional,” said Rousseff, adding new networks should offer security and speed at just fares.
The funds are part of a larger 143 billion-real (60 billion-dollar) program.
In the second largest city of Rio de Janeiro, repeated accidents and breakdowns have shown the vulnerability of its public transport. The problems in Rio have become a concern as the city is set to receive thousands of tourists for the FIFA World Cup in three months.