Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes inaugurated a stretch of the city’s new tramway on Sunday (June 5), exactly two months ahead of the start of the Olympics Games.
The Very Light Tramway, or VLT as the tram is known in Rio, was inaugurated in a carnival spirit, with a samba band entertaining as the system’s first passengers.
Paes stressed, however, that the Olympics were more than just a celebration.
“It is a legacy for the city. We are going to have an event and people are excited about it. In 60 days we will have the Olympic Games. That is a party, and parties are what Brazilians know how to do very well, but the coolest thing about the Olympics is not the party. There is no doubt about it, it is the benefits we are leaving for the city. We have already delivered an important round of benefits for the city and we are going to continue with this,” said Paes.
That said, only one fifth of the total tram route was opened on Sunday, and during the first week, though the tram will be free for passengers to use, it will only run three hours a day.
Eventually, authorities plan to run the tram 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with some 300,000 passengers per day, paying 3.80 Brazilian reais (1.08 U.S. dollars) for the ride.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016
