Internal Railway of Port of Santos to enter new joint supervision stage

The Internal Railway of the Port of Santos (Fips), currently under private management by a partnership between Rumo Logística, MRS Logística, and VLI, will now be under the combined supervision by the National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ), the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), and the Santos Port Authority (APS). The Action Plan proposing the sharing of responsibilities between the two regulatory agencies and the manager of the Santos port complex was approved at the last meeting of ANTAQ’s board of directors.

These steps were included in a Technical Cooperation Agreement and Delegation of Powers, signed between ANTAQ and ANTT, establishing actions and integration between the two entities to oversee Fips.

It’s worth noting that Fips is the railway asset concession contract of the Port of Santos, managed together by VLI, MRS, and Rumo for railway administration. The agreement also stipulates joint regulation by ANTAQ and ANTT.

According to the document, the supervision by both regulatory agencies will be organized into five parts: compliance with the concession contract, adaptation of railway infrastructure and superstructure, execution of agreed investments, operation concerning interactions with the port and other entities operating within it, as well as the municipalities (Port-City relationship), and booking railway operations.

The document containing the agency’s final understanding of the adjustments to the Action Plan will be sent to ANTT.

Roles Defined

According to the Action Plan, the first part of the proposal is to create a regular inspection schedule. This inspection, however, will take place separately from the port authority’s general supervision and will include demanding updated information from APS regarding the resolution of any disputes and pending matters, as well as the implementation of the determinations made by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) in the joint concession bid.

The second part, which deals with the adaptation of railway infrastructure and superstructure, will fall under the supervision of ANTT, the regulatory body responsible for railway assets. The document suggests that inspections should involve an ANTAQ representative to exchange information and knowledge.

The third part, examining the execution of agreed investments, will be directly supervised by the port authority. APS will also be responsible for approving the executive projects, authorizing all interventions, receiving them upon completion, and presenting the corresponding documents by the Fips Administrator.

ANTAQ will only act periodically, requesting information from the port authority about investments, documents, and inspection reports. The agency may conduct on-site checks to verify any inconsistencies.

The fourth part will be entirely under the jurisdiction of ANTAQ. This concerns the operation regarding interactions with the port, other entities within it, and the municipalities (Port-City relationship). As this is solely a port-related matter, the agency’s inspections will be carried out as usual: routine, extraordinary, and periodic.

The fifth and final part, concerning railway scheduling operation, will be supervised solely by ANTT.

Source: A Tribuna

To read the original publication, visit: https://www.atribuna.com.br/noticias/portomar/ferrovia-interna-do-porto-de-santos-tera-fiscalizacao-conjunta

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