Happy Monday! This week, roads around Brazil are getting worse and worse. Brazilian families mired in debt amid widespread economic fragility.
Brazilian roads of poorer quality
The quality of Brazil’s roadway infrastructure has regressed, scrapping gains made over the past five years. According to a new report by the National Confederation of Transports (CNT), the drop in quality was driven by a palpable decline in federal roads administered by the Infrastructure Ministry.
By the numbers. Roughly 29 percent of roads are either “bad” or “terrible,” the CNT says. In 2019, that percentage was 24 percent. Those deemed as “just O.K.” went from 35 to 39 percent over the past two years.
- That means 6,000 kilometers of Brazilian roads lost their status as great or good, while 4,000 kilometers became bad or terrible.
Why it matters. Brazil’s infrastructure model is centered on its roads, with over 60 percent of all cargo transported by trucks — despite the country’s immense potential for waterway transit.
- Roads are both the most expensive and the least efficient transportation method for Brazil. And the fact that so many of the country’s roads are in an inadequate state makes the system even less efficient and more expensive. ...