The trend towards urbanization in Brazil has caused an imbalance in large centers. The intense traffic of vehicles and greenhouse gas emissions are consequences of this urbanization and directly influence urban logistics.
The CNT (Confederação Nacional de Transportes) states that accelerated urbanization has brought difficulties to the logistics network of large centers, challenging the supply of cities, where 84% of the Brazilian population lives and where 97 million motor vehicles circulate. An alternative to balance this immense traffic of people and vehicles was to restrict the movement of freight vehicles within large centers.
Figure 1 – Radars control the circulation of trucks in Curitiba
Source – City Hall of Curitiba (2013)
40% of the cities in the Metropolitan Regions of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Distrito Federal, Porto Alegre, Recife and Fortaleza have some restriction on the movement of freight vehicles. These restrictions can be segmented into Circulation Restriction (vehicle prohibited from traveling on pre-established roads), Loading and Unloading Restriction (vehicle has authorization to park, but has defined hours to operate the load) and Parking restriction (vehicle cannot park or operate the load). Figure 2 illustrates the main Brazilian cities that have restriction and are classified by the hours in restriction during the 24 hours of the day.
Figure 2 – Cities and restrictions in Brazil
Source – ILOS (2019)
In the city of São Paulo, circulation restrictions are different and specific to each zone. In the ZMRC (Maximum Circulation Restriction Zone) freight vehicles are prohibited from circulating from Monday to Friday from 5 am to 21 pm, with the exception of the VUC (Urban Cargo Vehicle), as well as on Restricted lanes 2, 3 and 4. A Via Restricta 1 does not allow the circulation of even the VUC, and the fine for non-compliance with the law is R$ 130,16 with an average infraction and 4 points on the driver's license.
A study by the CNT states that the restrictions have increased the complexity of delivery and distribution operations in large centers, consequently increasing the cost of transport, directly affecting the freight value, since additional delivery difficulty and restriction area may be applied. And also generating uncertainty in the forecast of deliveries, many restrictions are not disclosed and the regulations are not clear, generating doubts for transporters.
However, many cities implement circulation restrictions without carrying out any prior study, with the simplistic idea that prohibiting circulation in some windows of the day will reduce traffic and pollution, but this is not true. It is necessary to plan, dialogue with the sectors involved, standardize the type of vehicle, schedules and routes that contemplate the restriction. In addition to improving road signs and traffic control so that traffic restrictions add value to urban logistics.
Sources:
https://cnt.org.br/agencia-cnt/estudo-cnt-revela-dificuldades-transporte-cargas-centros-urbanos
