A public bus lost its brakes while traveling downhill on a winding road in Florianópolis, Brazil. Driver Weslei Conrado Moreli said he tried to use the parking brake, known locally as the “maneco,” but it failed. He then steered through a dangerous curve and brought the bus to a stop. No passengers were injured.
The incident happened at night on Wednesday the 28th, while the bus was operating route 287, which connects Vargem Grande and Rio Vermelho in the north of the city. The vehicle lost control on Cristóvão Machado de Campos Road, which has sharp bends and downhill sections.
Moreli said he first noticed the brake problem as the bus began descending. As he reached a curve, he drove into the opposite lane to complete the turn, worried that the bus might collide with oncoming traffic. Passengers were shouting, he told g1, and he tried to reassure them as they continued downhill.
After the curve, Moreli managed to stop the bus. Because it kept moving even with the parking brake engaged, he asked a pedestrian to place stones under the wheels. He then checked that everyone was safe. Passengers embraced and thanked him, while the driver was visibly shaken.
Passenger Kassem Mohamed Chiah, 33, said he was returning from work and feared the bus could fail to make the turn. He described the incident as frightening and praised the driver’s actions. A video shared by a passenger later showed Moreli emotional after the ordeal.
Florianópolis City Hall said it notified public transport operator Consórcio Fênix on Monday, November 2, requesting an explanation of the incident and information about possible brake-system problems affecting buses serving the neighborhood. The city gave the consortium 10 days to provide the vehicle’s maintenance history, a report on the fault identified during the incident, and details of preventive maintenance carried out and planned across the fleet.
Consórcio Fênix said its maintenance team was still gathering technical information.
Sources: G1.