Daily, about 55,000 people cross the ferry stations in a pendulum movement between Niterói and Rio de Janeiro, crossing Guanabara Bay. For passengers, the trip is quick and simple, starting when the vessel leaves the terminal and ending minutes later on the other shore.
For this routine to repeat every day, however, there is work that goes unnoticed by users and gains strength precisely when the stations begin to empty. Starting at midnight, when the most intense traffic ends, a kind of second shift begins for the Rio Barcas fleet.
At the terminals and shipyard, vessels are collected, refueled, cleaned and subjected to a series of technical checks. It is during this night interval that the teams work to ensure the functioning of engines, navigation systems and refrigeration of the vessels.
All this maintenance and preparation work is essential so that the ferries are ready and safe to operate again in the early hours of the morning, when the thousands of passengers return to using the service.
