State Government guarantees CNH Pai D’égua benefits for 600 bus workers in Belém, Ananindeua, and Marituba
The delivery of the enrollment passport guarantees access to free CNH for workers impacted by the modernization of the bus fleet in the Metropolitan Region of Belém
The Government of Pará delivered, this Monday (19), the enrollment passport to 300 bus workers from the municipalities of Belém, Ananindeua, and Marituba, benefiting from the CNH Pai D’égua Program. The document precedes the enrollment stage, scheduled to begin on June 7, at the headquarters of the State Department of Transit (Detran).
During the ceremony, Governor Helder Barbalho announced the expansion of the benefit, ensuring an additional 300 spots for bus workers, totaling 600 free National Driver's Licenses (CNHs) for the category.
“Through dialogue between the State Government, the City Hall of Belém, and the other municipalities in the Metropolitan Region, we are ensuring that the CNH Pai D’égua reaches the bus collectors who, due to the fleet renewal with new air-conditioned vehicles, have stopped performing this function. We are transforming and valuing these professionals, allowing them to become drivers and remain employed, with dignity and the means to support their families,” stated Governor Helder Barbalho.
The mayor of Belém, Igor Normando, highlighted the importance of the initiative. “I feel extremely honored to, together with Governor Helder, contribute to you having a better life and work. That is what matters for those who work in defense of the category,” he emphasized.
The selection of the bus workers benefited was made based on a list sent to Detran by the unions of the category, from a Cooperation Agreement signed with the State Government. The partnership includes the Union of Road Transport Workers of the State of Pará (Sintrebel/Belém) and the Union of Road Workers of Ananindeua and Marituba (Sintram).
In this edition of the program, workers will be able to apply for their first license or make additions and changes to their category. “The professional who currently works as a collector will be able to obtain their first license. And those who already have a CNH will be able to migrate to category D, allowing them to work as bus drivers, minibuses, or vans. This is a differentiator of this stage,” explained the general director of Detran, Renata Coelho.
Category D allows driving passenger transport vehicles with more than eight seats, in addition to vehicles in categories B and C.
For Huelem Ferreira, president of Sintram, this moment represents a great achievement. “We are here with gratitude for this opportunity. Many feared dismissal without prospects, but with the support of public agencies, a concrete response came. This is not just a license; it is a change of life,” he declared.
Altair Brandão, president of Sintrebel/Belém, reinforced the pioneering nature of the action. “In no other state has there been an initiative like this. Throughout Brazil, collectors were simply dismissed, without a chance to migrate to the driver function. In Pará, the governor is guaranteeing 600 CNHs so that this transition occurs fairly and with dignity,” he pointed out.
The governor also highlighted the sensitivity of the state government in ensuring dignity for workers amid the sector's transformations. “We cannot discard 300 fathers and mothers of families. The fleet modernization is necessary, but it needs to be accompanied by public policies that offer opportunities. And that is what we are doing, with dialogue and responsibility,” he reinforced.
About the program
Coordinated by Detran Pará, the CNH Pai D’égua is the largest social program for free licensing in Brazil. Aimed at low-income individuals, the initiative promotes social inclusion, income generation, and access to the job market. In 2024, more than 60,000 people were benefited throughout the state. In 2025, the program also included exclusive spots for mothers of neurodivergent children. Registrations have already closed, and the list of approved candidates will be released on June 2.
