In Rio de Janeiro, criminal gangs use many buses as a tool to cause chaos to deal with police forces.
After police killed a drug lord in a slum in Rio de Janeiro in March 2026, gunmen quickly stopped a bus, forced passengers to leave the car and set it on fire in the middle of the road. Driver Marcio Souza said the incident happened very quickly, causing him to be haunted and panicked.
Such incidents are not uncommon in the city of nearly 7 million people, where clashes between police and armed gangs often occur in slums.
In retaliation, gangs often occupy buses, turning them into barricades to obstruct law enforcement and paralyze traffic for hours.
In October 2025, in Brazil's bloodiest crime crackdown between police and heavily armed gang members, more than 120 people were killed and more than 100 buses were robbed across the city.
This situation seriously affects people, especially those living in poor areas, who already have to travel long distances to work.
A driver said he had been attacked by a group of motorcyclists who robbed his keys and poured gasoline on his car. Police arrived in time to stop the car from being burned, but fear still haunts him.
According to representatives of Rio Onibus, nearly 200 drivers had to quit their jobs due to stress and panic. In the same period, 254 buses were used as barriers, doubling compared to before.
The consequence spread to the entire urban life. Hundreds of thousands of people could not complete their journey, businesses had to close early. Many passengers said they no longer dared to take the bus because of safety concerns.
A study shows that nearly 19,000 students have been unable to go to school due to traffic disruption. Armed violence is deeply affecting the lives of city residents.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva once described the bus fire scenes as similar to what happened in the Gaza Strip, reflecting the severity of the situation.
