Porto Alegre mass transport system receives funds

(Special, December 30, 2009).- CAF approved a technical cooperation grant for the Porto Alegre Municipal Prefecture in Brazil. The non-reimbursable funds for the Portais da Cidade project will be used to complete the design and the implementation plan of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system for the city. The non-reimbursable funds come from the Fund for Promotion of Sustainable Infrastructure Projects (Proinfa), set up by CAF in 2006 to improve the quality of infrastructure projects.

"These funds - said CAF President García - will be used to provide technical and financial support for the Municipal Prefecture to structure and implement this transport system as part of the actions to prepare the infrastructure required for holding the 2014 World Cup games."

García added, "the Corporation is constantly looking for ways to contribute to the social development its shareholder countries. One way is to support the modernization of cities by providing efficient urban transport systems which improve the quality of life of citizens and increase the competitiveness of cities."

For over a decade, CAF has been accompanying the development and financing of public transport systems in various cities of the region.

About 30 projects of this type have now been developed, examples include the financing granted to Caracas (metro and urban train system), Bogota (Transmilenio), Guayaquil (road system), Lima (Electric Train), and Panama City (metro).

The BRT projects are acquiring increasing relevance in the cities of the world, especially in Latin America; for this reason CAF supports their formulation and implementation in the region's main metropolises.