Commuters and corporate travellers moving around Brazil’s fourth-largest urban economy woke up on Sunday, 1 February 2026, to higher public-transport costs. A 4.46 % fare hike approved earlier in January by the Conselho Superior de Transporte Metropolitano (CSTM) has now entered into force across the Região Metropolitana do Recife (RMR).
The most widely used ticket—the Bilhete Único, Anel A—has risen from R$ 4.30 to R$ 4.50. Tariffs on the longer-distance Anel G corridors and the special express lines have been adjusted by a similar percentage. The regional operator, Grande Recife Consórcio, says the increase merely tracks the 2026 inflation curve and will finance fuel, wage and fleet-maintenance costs.
For companies running mobility programmes or daily shuttles in Recife, Olinda and Jaboatão dos Guararapes, the immediate implication is higher per-diem budgets and ground-transport allowances. Travel-management companies (TMCs) that bundle local transit into corporate travel packages will need to update rate sheets this week to avoid reimbursement disputes. The rise also feeds into relocation cost-of-living indices, which multinationals use to set hardship or housing allowances for inbound assignees.
![Recife Metropolitan Bus Fares Increase 4.46 % as New Tariffs Take Effect]()
Meanwhile, international business travellers heading to Pernambuco can streamline the visa side of their itineraries with VisaHQ. The online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers clear guidance on Brazilian entry rules, assists with document preparation and submission, and provides real-time status tracking—freeing up corporate travel managers to focus on budgeting for these newly adjusted transport fares.
The fare adjustment follows weeks of legal sparring. Consumer-rights groups filed injunctions alleging procedural flaws in the CSTM vote, while bus-operators warned that freezing prices would jeopardise service during Carnival. Two lower-court decisions briefly suspended the hike before Brazil’s Superior Tribunal de Justiça reinstated it late Friday night. Extra ticket inspectors and security personnel were deployed at major terminals on Sunday to ease the transition.
Looking ahead, the state government has signalled that a broader overhaul of RMR’s fare-zone model will be discussed after Carnival, including potential integration with Recife’s Metro and the planned BRT corridor to Suape Port. Any restructuring could rebalance costs for expatriates and business travellers who currently rely on a patchwork of modes to reach industrial hubs on the metro’s southern flank.
The most widely used ticket—the Bilhete Único, Anel A—has risen from R$ 4.30 to R$ 4.50. Tariffs on the longer-distance Anel G corridors and the special express lines have been adjusted by a similar percentage. The regional operator, Grande Recife Consórcio, says the increase merely tracks the 2026 inflation curve and will finance fuel, wage and fleet-maintenance costs.
For companies running mobility programmes or daily shuttles in Recife, Olinda and Jaboatão dos Guararapes, the immediate implication is higher per-diem budgets and ground-transport allowances. Travel-management companies (TMCs) that bundle local transit into corporate travel packages will need to update rate sheets this week to avoid reimbursement disputes. The rise also feeds into relocation cost-of-living indices, which multinationals use to set hardship or housing allowances for inbound assignees.
Meanwhile, international business travellers heading to Pernambuco can streamline the visa side of their itineraries with VisaHQ. The online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers clear guidance on Brazilian entry rules, assists with document preparation and submission, and provides real-time status tracking—freeing up corporate travel managers to focus on budgeting for these newly adjusted transport fares.
The fare adjustment follows weeks of legal sparring. Consumer-rights groups filed injunctions alleging procedural flaws in the CSTM vote, while bus-operators warned that freezing prices would jeopardise service during Carnival. Two lower-court decisions briefly suspended the hike before Brazil’s Superior Tribunal de Justiça reinstated it late Friday night. Extra ticket inspectors and security personnel were deployed at major terminals on Sunday to ease the transition.
Looking ahead, the state government has signalled that a broader overhaul of RMR’s fare-zone model will be discussed after Carnival, including potential integration with Recife’s Metro and the planned BRT corridor to Suape Port. Any restructuring could rebalance costs for expatriates and business travellers who currently rely on a patchwork of modes to reach industrial hubs on the metro’s southern flank.
