On Monday, November 9, AcquaVias started assisted operations for three months as part of a 20-year concession for 14 ferry routes in Brazil's São Paulo State.
During the transition, the state's Secretariat of Environment, Infrastructure and Logistics (Semil) will work alongside the concessionaire to maintain service continuity, with existing fares and exemptions remaining in place. Each year, approximately 11 million passengers and 10 million vehicles use the network.
The concession's BRL2.5 billion ($453.7 million) investment programme includes 45 new vessels, 41 of them electric.
It also provides for building or expanding 20 terminals, along with centres for operations control, new workshops for maintenance, automatic collection booths and charging infrastructure for the electric fleet.
The first new vessels are expected from the concession's third year. The contract sets a target of full operating capacity on every crossing by the end of year seven.
"Improvements will be felt gradually as the stages progress," said AcquaVias president Rodolfo Lima.
The state government said average fleet availability rose from 60.9 per cent in 2024 to approximately 80 per cent in 2026. This followed around BRL240 million in recovery spending since 2023, including the refurbishment of 23 vessels.
The consortium of BK Consultoria e Serviços, Internacional Marítima, Rodonave Navegações, Zetta Infraestrutura e Participações and Innovia Soluções Inteligentes won the concession at auction on November 13, 2025. The routes include São Sebastião–Ilhabela, Santos–Guarujá and Bertioga–Guarujá.