Public transport in São Paulo is often chaotic and, if you are unlucky enough to be in a carriage at such times, you should know that there is a formal alternative to justify the delay. Both the Metrô and CPTM offer so-called delay certificates, documents that help workers affected by transport failures.
Now that you know about the existence of these certificates, there’s no need to despair when the subway stops right at your turn!
What is the differentiated operational occurrence certificate?
The certificate of delay or, formally, declaration of differentiated operational occurrence, is a document that details the line and time of the failure in rail transportation. Created in 2011, it is available whenever there is a stoppage in the operation lasting more than eight minutes.
In other words, if you’re late because the metro or train has stopped, you can prove the situation and not have your hands tied when it comes to explaining yourself to your boss.
How do you get your delay certificate?
In the case of the Metrô, you just have to go to the Central de Ocorrências, find the fault you witnessed and click on the printer icon next to it. The system generates a PDF for download. If the record is not yet available, you can request the document directly through the company’s customer service channels.
At CPTM, the process is similar: go to the Passenger Service area on the official website and consult the Occurrence Report panel. Everything is done digitally.
Finally, it’s worth remembering: the declaration serves to justify the delay, but it has no legal value to pay for the hours of service missed. This depends on each company’s policy.
