Ferry concessionaire Internacional Travessias Salvador (ITS) published its 9 October operational bulletin detailing service status and special measures for the Nossa Senhora Aparecida long weekend. Four vessels—Zumbi dos Palmares, Dorival Caymmi, Ivete Sangalo and Maria Bethânia—will run hourly on the Salvador–Bom Despacho route from 05:00 to 23:30. In line with AGERBA Resolution 16/2026, ITS has temporarily banned the embarkation of buses, trucks over 1.5 t and articulated trailers from 05:00 on 9 October until 15:00 on 10 October (outbound) and from 05:00 on 12 October until 05:00 on 14 October (inbound). The objective is to prioritise passenger vehicles and reduce terminal congestion. Companies moving light commercial cargo may still board but should consult the “Hora Marcada” reservation platform, where slots sell out up to 30 days in advance. ITS has upgraded its ticketing system with EMV contactless readers and expanded its online ‘filômetro’ queue-tracking tool—an asset for corporate travel desks coordinating airport-to-island transfers for expatriate assignees. Additional cleaning crews, security staff and portable restrooms have been deployed to cope with the expected 99,000 passengers. Travellers should arrive at least one hour before scheduled departure and carry proof of priority status (e.g., senior-citizen ID) to use preferential boarding lanes. Vehicle drivers are reminded that the speed limit inside terminals is 20 km/h and that traffic marshals have authority to issue on-the-spot fines for non-compliance. Businesses with just-in-time supply chains on Itaparica Island’s tourism and retail complexes are advised to reschedule heavy deliveries to off-peak windows (11 October after 20:00 or 14 October after 09:00) to avoid the embargo.
