President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched the Move Aplicativos credit program Tuesday in São Paulo to support ride-hailing and taxi drivers [1].
The initiative aims to stabilize the livelihoods of thousands of drivers by lowering the barrier to vehicle ownership and maintenance. By providing subsidized credit, the government seeks to stimulate the transport sector and ensure drivers can maintain the assets necessary for their work [1], [2].
Speaking at the Casa de Portugal in the Liberdade neighborhood, the president said the government has allocated R$ 30 billion in public resources to the program [1], [3]. The funds are designed to help drivers purchase new vehicles, cover essential maintenance costs, and secure working capital [1], [2].
Under the terms of the program, individual drivers can access a maximum credit amount of R$ 150,000 [6]. This targeted financing is intended to reduce the reliance on high-interest private loans that often burden gig economy workers.
The program targets both traditional taxi drivers and those working for digital platforms. The government intends for the credit line to modernize the fleet of vehicles used in urban transport, a move expected to improve service quality and driver safety [1], [5].
Officials said the program is part of a broader strategy to integrate ride-hailing drivers into the formal financial system. By offering these loans, the administration aims to provide a safety net for a workforce that has historically struggled to obtain traditional bank financing due to the irregular nature of app-based income [4], [5].
“The government has allocated R$ 30 billion in public resources to the program.”
This program represents a significant state intervention in the gig economy, treating ride-hailing drivers as a critical economic class requiring subsidized support. By providing R$ 30 billion in credit, the Brazilian government is attempting to mitigate the financial volatility of platform work while simultaneously stimulating the automotive market.
