As comissões regionais de transportes e trânsito como instrumentos de participação popular em Belo Horizonte: uma análise da percepção dos representantes e participantes

Abstract

The Federal Constitution of 1988 introduced several instruments of social participation in Brazilian public management. Decentralization and the autonomy of municipalities made it possible to increase popular participation in public affairs, particularly in those of greater social interest, such as health, education, transportation and security. In Belo Horizonte, the Transportation and Traffic Commissions were created, instruments of popular participation with similar characteristics to the other municipal councils, with the purpose of promoting the articulation between the society and the public power in the transportation and traffic management of the city. However, the articulation between society and public power occurs in several ways, oscillating according to the government of the moment, but also according to the conditions of participation and action of the population. In this sense, the main objective of this research was to analyze the Regional Commissions of Transports and Transit as instruments of the direct participation of the society in the management and the policies of transports and transit of Belo Horizonte. The research is qualitative and quantitative, based on the techniques of questionnaire application, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. The data were treated by content analysis. The results pointed to a representative profile similar to that expressed in the literature. The participation, representation and performance of the Commissions were considered adequate and satisfactory in the perception of their participants and representatives, being considered instruments of participation of the society in the public management.