Proposals from the Associação Civil Monitor Ambiental Antirruídos to improve the draft law on the Legal Framework for Urban Public Transportation

The Associação Civil Monitor Ambiental Antirruídos presented proposals for improvement to the draft law on the legal framework for urban public transportation [1], currently being processed by the Chamber of Deputies, requesting urgent consideration .[2]

The proposals were presented in the context of defending the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable city , free from noise pollution .

Also, in the context of defending the right to clean, healthy, and sustainable streets, Free from noise pollution .

Likewise, the Associação Civil Monitor Ambiental Antirruídos defends the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable residential street environment, free from noise pollution.

The Associação Civil Monitor Ambiental Antirruídos defends the right to private property against noise pollution.

Furthermore, the Associação Civil Monitor Ambiental Antirruídos advocates for the implementation of the World Health Organization’s recommendations, which state that noise levels exceeding 50 dB(A) – fifty decibels – are a factor in damaging health.

The World Health Organization recommends a noise limit for traffic and transportation of 53 dB(A) during the day and 45 dB(A) at night. The Association recommends incorporating these parameters into the regulation of public bus transportation.

The proposals for improving the draft law on the Legal Framework for Urban Public Transportation are as follows:

• Incorporate into the aforementioned bill the right to clean, healthy, and sustainable urban public transportation, free from noise pollution and free from the emission of excessive, unnecessary, harmful, and abusive noise;

• Incorporate into the draft bill the noise emission limits for urban public passenger transport services by bus, of 53 dB(A) – fifty-three decibels – for the day – and 45 dB(A) – forty-five decibels – for the night, in accordance with the parameters of the World Health Organization;

• Incorporate into the draft bill the principles of acoustic eco-efficiency and sound sustainability in the regulation of public passenger bus transport services;

• The reference in the draft bill to the obligation of the public passenger transport system to respect the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable city, free from noise pollution and free from the emission of excessive, unnecessary, harmful and abusive noise;

• Install acoustic environmental sensors as a tool for monitoring noise emissions from urban public transport buses;

• The mandatory use of acoustic radar as a tool for monitoring noise emissions from urban public transport buses;
• Require periodic vehicle inspection standards.  and ongoing, to investigate the emission of excessive, unnecessary, harmful and abusive noise from buses;

• Include systems for evaluating noise emission levels inside buses, and for setting noise levels that are adequate for health, well-being, and comfort.  of drivers and passengers;

• To acknowledge the inadequacy of the provision of urban public transport services in cases of excessive, unnecessary, harmful and abusive noise emissions, as well as the lack of acoustic quality in the provision of the service;

• To institute the loss of the concession in the event that the urban public transport service does not meet the health protection parameters defined by the World Health Organization, in relation to the prevention and control of noise pollution;

• To institute the loss of the concession in the event that the urban public transport service causes air pollution and/or  Noise pollution;

• Prohibit the use of public funds to finance buses that pollute the air and/or noise, as well as transportation infrastructure that pollutes the environment;

• Prohibit subsidies for buses that pollute the air and/or noise, as well as for transport infrastructure that pollutes the environment;

• The explicit reference to the principle of economy and efficiency regarding the control of supply and demand for transport lines, with measures to deactivate lines without demand;

• The text of the law should explicitly mention measures to control bus speed, especially in residential areas, during both daytime and nighttime hours;
• To mandate studies on the acoustic environmental impact of bus operations and their infrastructure in the neighborhood areas where buses circulate;

• Include the citizen’s right to measures to eliminate, reduce and isolate the emission of excessive, unnecessary, harmful and abusive noise from urban passenger transport buses;

• Include the citizen’s right to be informed about the risks to health, well-being, and comfort resulting from the emission of excessive, unnecessary, harmful, and abusive noise from public passenger transport buses;

• Include the citizen’s right to the acoustic environmental quality of public passenger transport services, by bus;

• Include the citizen’s right to be informed about the emissions (carbon and other gases) of each bus in circulation, with this information available in real time on a specific website and/or app;

• The reference to the acoustic environmental governance plan for the purpose of preventing and controlling noise pollution from public passenger transport buses;

• Include the citizen’s right to be informed about plans to accelerate the replacement of combustion engine buses with electric buses, with information about the locations to be served by electric buses;

• Include the citizen’s right to be informed about the technical justification for the use of bi-articulated buses in cases where there is no passenger demand or this demand is low at certain times;

• Include the citizen’s right to be informed about the technical justification for the use of bi-articulated buses and the circulation of these vehicles in cases of zero demand (buses circulating empty during certain time periods), considering the principles of economy and efficiency, and to avoid the waste of public resources;

• To assess the thermal impact of buses, as well as asphalt infrastructure, on the formation of “heat islands” in cities;

• bi-articulated buses, considering their tonnage and fuel consumption, in scenarios of low passenger demand;

• To assess the risks of traffic accidents involving the use of buses for urban public transportation, as well as to evaluate the adequacy of the design of the streets where these vehicles circulate;

• To conduct studies, research, and gather information on noise emissions from electric buses, comparing them to buses with combustion engines;

• bi-articulated bus lines , in certain urban sections, with urban mobility systems, in the event of reduced demand;

• The draft bill should refer to the rights of neuroatypical , neurodivergent , and neurodivergent individuals who are vulnerable to noise exposure.

• Referring to studies, research, and plans regarding the quality of street asphalt, its thermal and acoustic effects, such as plans for the use of asphalt with improved thermal and acoustic quality;

• The reference to studies, research and plans on the quality of bus tires, their thermal and acoustic effects, as well as plans for the use of tires with better thermal and acoustic quality;
• Include the right to compensation for property owners in cases of impact from public passenger transport infrastructure, such as buses, terminals, and parking facilities, including the impact of bus traffic and the emission of excessive, unnecessary, harmful, and abusive noise;

• Include the citizen’s right to measures such as acoustic barriers and/or sound insulation in the event of the impact of excessive, unnecessary, harmful and abusive noise emissions in their residential and/or commercial environment;

• Establish a democratic governance plan for the public passenger bus transportation system, creating public transportation regulatory agencies with technical and financial autonomy, including provisions for the participation of representatives from civil society, ensuring broad participation and transparency;

• Incorporate governance plans with objectives, metrics, environmental quality indicators, a compliance system , and transparency;

• To develop applications, platforms, and other digital tools so that citizens can monitor the acoustic quality of urban public transportation services, as well as the level of noise emissions;

To learn more and participate, visit the Association’s website: https://antirruidos.wordpress.com/, subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@associacao.antirruidos and access the social network X: https://x.com/antirruidos . Participate, express your opinion and suggestion

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[1]Bill No. 3,278/2021 (Legal Framework for Urban Public Collective Transportation) authored by former Senator and current Minister of the Federal Court of Accounts Antonio Augusto Anastasia , substitute presented by Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo, in his capacity as rapporteur, approved by the Senate Infrastructure Services Committee (Amendment No. 3/CI).

[2]Draft bill authored by former Senator and current Minister of the Federal Court of Accounts, Antonio Augusto Anastasia . Chamber of Deputies . Request no. 5,788/2025, requesting urgent consideration for Draft Bill no. 3,278/2021. Brasília, DF, 2025. Available at: https://www.camara.leg.br/proposicoesWeb/prop_mostrarintegra?codteor=3066793&filename=Tramitacao-PL%203278/2021 . Accessed February 2026.