Bus strike paralyzes Brazil's second largest city
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The trade association representing Rio de Janeiro's bus transportation companies says Thursday's citywide strike by bus drivers has affected more than 2 million people in Brazil's second largest city.
Alexandre Almeida is a press officer for Rio Onibus. He says the strike has prevented 70 percent of the city's nearly 9,000 buses from circulating. Nearly 4 million people use these buses every day to get to and from work.
The strikers who are demanding higher pay have paralyzed traffic with road blocks and demonstrations.
More than 300 buses have been damaged by rock throwing strikers, Almeida said.
The work stoppage overtaxed public transit vans, commuter trains and the city's subway system by tens of thousands of people trying to get to work.
