Public Transport in Emerging Countries: From Old Dilemmas to Opportunities for Transition to Sustainable Mobility Through the Case of Brazil

Throughout their trajectory, emerging countries like Brazil have not prioritized alternatives that guarantee the sustainable development of its public transport system, accumulating relevant gaps in infrastructure, quality and access to public transport. In this sense, the objective of this chapter is to present the context in which public transport has been developing in Brazil, both historically and currently, discussing the dilemmas and opportunities that could enable the transition to a more sustainable public transport system in the country. It seems that innovation projects based on sustainability in ubiquitous mobility are very welcome, but they do not replace the need for a conventional public transport solution. Additionally, automakers will not lead the most relevant transformations since most of the initiatives aimed at contributing to reduce the gaps from the public transport in Brazil come from new players interested in developing business models in this field, especially nascent companies focused on implementation of new technologies for the provision of mobility services. Although no new single player will be able to cause systemic changes alone, some opportunities are presented in order to improve the discussion about the development of a more sustainable public transport in the country, as well as to contribute as a reference for other emerging countries that may face similar challenges.