Rio fare protesters seize main station and let commuters travel free Riot police, teargas and stun grenades fail to stop passe livre movement taking over Central do Brasil train and bus hub Resource Type: Article Published: 2014 Thousands of commuters were shepherded through demolished ticket gates at the Central do Brasil station amid a violent confrontation over proposed fare rises that resulted in fires, arrests and disruption of transport networks. The station in downtown Rio echoed with police percussion grenades and the protesters' celebratory samba drumming as they seized control of the main bank of ticket machines. Close to a thousand people joined the passe livre (free pass) march, sparked by the announcement by the city mayor, Eduardo Paes, that bus fires will rise from 2.75 reais to 3 reais (£0.75/US$1.25) on Saturday. That may seem cheap compared with London or New York. But for a daily commuter on a minimum monthly wages of 724 reais a month it leaves transport costs at more than a sixth of income."