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In Alto da Serra, in São José dos Pinhais, about 300 families pass in front of their house and need to go down the BR-277 to the nearest return in Morretes, paying R$ 24 in tolls. The residents are asking for the return that was there, closed months ago, to be reinstated.
The residents of Alto da Serra, in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, are forced every day to pay R$ 24 in tolls and go down about 16 kilometers through a mountain to get home. This happens because the nearest returns to the neighborhood were blocked, and the only available one is down below, at kilometer 41, already in Morretes. They pass in front of their own house but cannot enter.
According to the Record report, broadcast by Balanço Geral, about 300 families have been living this routine since the returns were closed. The operational return that existed at kilometer 49 was deactivated at the beginning of last year, and another point, at kilometer 56, ended up completely blocked. Accompanied by reporter Thaí Travençol, the community is asking for the old return to be reinstated.
The drama of the residents who pass in front of their house
The routine of the residents of Alto da Serra has a detail that borders on the absurd.
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According to the Record report, they pass every day in front of their own house gate but cannot enter because there is no return there.
To return, they need to go further, descend the Serra do Mar, and only then make the turn, in a route that, adding up the round trip, approaches 40 kilometers per day.
The problem goes far beyond the distance.
According to Balanço Geral, when there is an accident on the mountain, the return home can take hours, and there have been cases where people were stuck on the road until dawn.
The residents report fatigue with the toll to go to work, with the risks of the stretch, and with the time lost, and they say that even a child became ill on the way.
Why the returns near the neighborhood were blocked
The community consists of about 300 families who depend on services outside the neighborhood.
According to the report, these are residents who need to go to schools, banks, markets, and pharmacies, generally in the Borda do Campo neighborhood or downtown São José dos Pinhais.
For this, however, they face a toll of R$ 24 within the city and still 16 kilometers until they can make the return.
The situation worsened with the closure of the nearest returns.
According to Record, at kilometer 56 there was a return used by residents, even though it was not considered safe, and it was completely blocked.
Further ahead, at kilometer 49, there was an operational return, closed at the beginning of last year.
Without these options, the nearest alternative is now further down, at kilometer 41, already in Morretes.
16 km of mountains, toll, and risk on BR-277
The Record team retraced the route that residents face daily on BR-277.
According to the report, after passing the toll, there was no return at kilometer 56 or 49, which forced them to continue descending the mountain for a few more kilometers, amid fog, construction sections, and several trucks on the road, until kilometer 41, in Morretes, where it was finally possible to turn around.
For the residents, the detour takes a high toll.
They claim that pushing the return to a mountain section increases the risk of accidents and that, in an emergency, a SAMU ambulance would take much longer to arrive and leave.
Financially, a resident estimated that, adding the toll and fuel for this round trip, the cost reaches about R$ 80 per day.
What the residents are asking for and the toll impasse
The residents’ request is straightforward, they want the return back.
According to the report, many say they feel abandoned, as they have lived their whole lives in the area without paying a toll and, with the closure of the return, they started to bear the fee and the detour.
Record itself argued that the case requires intervention from the state government with the toll concessionaires.
Among the solutions proposed is a specific agreement for the bordering residents.
The report suggested, for example, the creation of a differentiated tag, exempting payment for residents who only need to go down and up to make the return, although the ideal pointed out is to reestablish the old return.
The program estimated on air that the extra cost would exceed R$ 2,000 per month for some families.
It is worth noting that the material listened to the residents, but does not include the position of the concessionaire or the responsible agencies.
The case of Alto da Serra shows how a simple change in a highway return can become a daily problem for hundreds of families.
Between the R$ 24 toll, the 16 kilometers of descent through the mountain, and the risk of the stretch, the residents demand a solution that restores the access they had before.
For now, the situation remains undefined, with the final word depending on the public authorities and the concessionaires.
And you, have you ever experienced a similar situation, having to pay tolls or take huge detours to get home? Do you think the residents of Alto da Serra are right in what they are asking for? Leave your opinion in the comments, respecting different views, and share this article with those who know the reality of Serra do Mar and BR-277.
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