Metrô tenders passenger survey that may inform Artesp bus concession

According to Diário do Transporte, the Metrô de São Paulo has opened a tender for a passenger travel survey that could later inform the planned concession of intercity bus lines run by Artesp. The notice was published in the state Official Gazette on 6 November 2026, and the public session is scheduled for 27 November 2026 at 9h.

What the survey covers

The contract is for what is called the Pesquisa de Linha de Contorno, which identifies trips crossing the boundaries of Greater São Paulo. According to the outlet, the work will survey passengers at intercity bus terminals, airports and charter buses, and count classified vehicles on highways. It also includes trip matrices built from mobile phone data, organization and processing of the databases, and presentation of the results.

Possible use for the Artesp concession

According to Diário do Transporte, there is no official confirmation that the data will be used directly in designing the Artesp concession. Still, the information could help the state government measure demand for intercity trips, define service needs, assess integration options and set criteria for distributing lines among companies and regions.

The report also notes that mobile phone data must be technically treated, because the movement of devices does not automatically equal the number of bus passengers. It adds that the survey does not replace a specific study of the whole intercity network, and that it is not yet clear whether the Metrô will share the results with Artesp.

Background

The Metrô has used boundary surveys for decades within its Origin and Destination studies. The 2017 edition covered 21 highways giving access to the metropolitan region, the Congonhas and Guarulhos airports, the Tietê, Barra Funda and Jabaquara bus terminals, and four charter bus concentration points.

The Artesp concession has been under discussion since 2015, and the first notice was published in June 2016. According to the report, it has been repeatedly suspended by the State Audit Court (TCE-SP) and by the courts, mainly over how the state would be divided into operating areas and limits on one group operating in several areas. In the meantime, Artesp has issued an emergency call, published on 27 October 2026, for 257 intercity connections considered unserved.