Electric trams

After some experimental tests and the definitive installation of the Electric Tramway in the city of Buenos Aires in 1897, in Rosario it was decided to call a tender in 1905 for the construction and operation of a network of electric trams, being awarded on September 15, 1905 and for a period of 55 years the Compañía General de Tramways Eléctricos del Rosario (CGTER) of Belgian components Anversoise de Tranways et d’ Entrepisos Electriques of Antwerp, Mutuelle de Tranways and Banco Comtoir de la Bourse, of Brussels, all of them subsumed in 1910 within the SOFINA holding company; The concession signing and receipt of guarantees and guarantees were carried out by the then mayor Santiago Pinasco during the months of September and November 1905.

In March 1906, the rolling stock (forty-seat cars painted white "Blanco (color)") and light blue "Celeste (color)" that would later be repainted cream yellow) and other elements to carry out the installations arrived from Belgium to the port of Rosario. The CGTER would put its generating plant, offices and workshops in three blocks located at the intersection of Pellegrini and Ovidio Lagos avenues, suburbs of the city at that time.

On October 31, 1906, the first electric tram completed its maiden voyage. The next day, the first line, number 9, of the fifteen that the concession granted to the CGTER, began to circulate regularly. The remaining lines were put into service in stages throughout the years 1907 and 1908, with a provision of 100 large trams (with 40 seats) and 60 small trams (with 28 seats), in addition to several coupled trailers. Blood traction (horse trams) will persist in a neighborhood circuit in Arroyito "Lisandro de la Torre (Rosario)") until 1912, the year in which the CGTER finishes commissioning all the lines awarded in the original tender, after notable setbacks due to obstacles on the part of railway companies (reluctant to share tracks and level crossings), unpredictability and lack of state decision-making power, and union conflicts existing since its first days in service.

Starting in 1910, the Société d’Electicité de Rosario was established in the city, made up of capital from the same CGTER, the tram network began to obtain energy from the substation network of the aforementioned society, which until its nationalization in 1952 would provide home electrical service to the city.

The strong growth experienced by the city of Rosario in the first decades of the century was reflected in the number of passengers transported by the CGTER. When the electric transportation system was put out to tender in 1905, the city had 130,000 inhabitants. Twenty years later the population reached 350,000 inhabitants. In 1918, three million more passengers used the tram than originally planned, reaching 22 million passengers annually. In 1925, this figure rose to 55 million. This was reflected in a progressive deterioration in the quality of services. The city was growing but the tram network was not. The trams were traveling beyond their capacity.[9]​.

During the First World War and due to the shortage of coal, the machines generating electrical energy, necessary for the circulation of trams, replaced the fuel with various cereals. Faced with this scenario, the CGTER laid tracks on Rondeau Boulevard to the Sorrento Power Plant, through which the foxes transported loads of corn, sorghum and millet. At the same time, the fleet of two hundred cars (classified as "large", "medium" and "small" according to the number of seats) was maintained in quantity, and to the fifteen lines provided for in the bidding document, at the end of the decade it only added line 20, with a route to the La Piedad cemetery, and made an extension to Fisherton "Fisherton (Rosario)") of a flag (branch or variant) of the line. 14.[6]​.

Electric buses and trams

In 1911, the automobile intended for urban passenger transportation made a brief appearance.[10]​ In the early 1920s and given the CGTER's refusal to establish new lines, the municipality opened a tender for other companies to participate in the creation of new tram lines. It turns out to be deserted. This situation, added to the demand of the public and the authorities, reached its climax in 1923, when the Municipality of Rosario authorized the free circulation and operation of automobiles intended for the transport of passengers, with the freedom to establish routes and rates "Tariff (public service)"). As a consequence, hundreds of self-employed workers using various types of vehicles entered the competition, generally using observable "superposition" strategies on the tram corridors and making trips beyond the ends of their network, obtaining the favor of the public who lived in remote areas.[6]​[10]​.

In 1928, social unrest had tram and port workers as protagonists of various protests. One of them was an indefinite strike, which forced the CGTER to operate the trams with superior personnel and strikebreakers, which circulated protected by security forces due to the risk they ran due to the population's rejection of the company's attitude. After pressure from the national government, the CGTER had to satisfy the demands of its employees. This, together with competition from automotive transport, led to the company's balance sheets being losses in the following years.

In the early 1930s, tension between the state and the CGTER arose over the laying of the rails of Line 8. It connected the central area with the spa located on the Saladillo stream "Arroyo Saladillo (Santa Fe)"), at the southern end of the city. The rails were located next to the curbs of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)"). The municipal authorities demanded that the company locate its tracks in the central bed, a requirement that was met. At the same time, the municipality demanded that they be relocated next to the cordons. The company refused to do it. Given this, municipal workers raised the tracks at the intersection of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)") and Ayolas Street. The CGTER reestablished the service by transferring passengers by bus, and in turn resorted to legal avenues. During the following years the accusations between both parties, the municipal state and the CGTER, came to light.[6]​.

Finally, on February 11, 1932, the CGTER board considered it uneconomical to continue providing the service and declared a lock-out.[9]​ For 27 days the city was left without tram service.[7]​ 1,200 workers did not receive their salaries. The transportation of the inhabitants was extremely complex: thousands of people traveled on foot between their homes and places of work, while the buses were not able to satisfy the demand. At night, the neighborhoods remained isolated from the city center.[9]​.

The company's refusal to restore services, its demands for control of motor transport, its requests for permission to replace tram lines with trolleybuses and for permits to eliminate some existing tram lines, were not welcomed by the municipality, which considered them unacceptable. On April 8, 1932, the progressive Democratic majority of the Deliberative Council declared the expiration of the concession granted to the Compañía General de Tramways Eléctricos del Rosario. The local and provincial governments turned to a novel alternative: municipalizing Rosario's public transportation. This intervention constituted the first large-scale municipalization that was carried out in Argentine cities.[9]​.

On September 15, 1932, the Mixed Municipal Transportation Company of Rosario (EMMTR) began its services, using the assets of the CGTER. The outgoing company was financially compensated for the years remaining until the end of the original concession until 1960. Its headquarters in Brussels was notified of this. The SOFINA holding continued with its operations in the electric energy market.[6]​ The brand new company began a repair plan for vehicles, tracks, overhead contact lines "Catenary (railway)"), electrical infrastructure and lighting. At the same time, the acquisition of private motor vehicles with public transportation services began, culminating in the second half of the 1930s. The EMMTR completed incomplete lines, such as 26, which was extended on Avenida Ovidio Lagos from Boulevard 27 de Febrero to Avenida Battle y Ordóñez.[7]​.

Around 1944, after the repurchase of the titles of its private shareholders, the Municipal Joint Transportation Company of Rosario was established as the Municipal Transportation Company of Rosario (EMTR), continuing with the maintenance of the fleet, made difficult by the reduction of supplies and spare parts due to the development of the Second World War. The construction of mechanical trams powered by combustion engines was experimented with, which were nicknamed Santa Marta. By 1945, more than 133 million passengers were transported in Rosario, 110 million of them by tram, 15 million by bus, 6 million by minibus and almost 2 million by mechanical trams. Used trams were acquired from the Quilmes and Balnearios Tram Company, from the city of the same name "Quilmes (Buenos Aires)"), province of Buenos Aires. Almost 300 cars were part of the tram fleet at that time.[7]​.

At the beginning of 1950, after the implementation of new salary and social policies, the impossibility of making tariff adjustments to face the increase in the cost of supplies and spare parts, and the need for high subsidies, the Municipality transferred the administration and exploitation to the government of the province of Santa Fe, creating the Empresa de Transporte de Rosario (ETR). It continued to repair and maintain the tram fleet, without building new lines. By 1955 there were 25 tram lines on a 169-kilometer stretch of tracks; 109 million passengers were transported in these formations, compared to the 50 million transported by 24 bus lines (microbuses had gone out of circulation in 1953). In subsequent years, several trams arrived from Buenos Aires in an attempt to alleviate the inconveniences generated by the lack of repair and modernization of local units.[7]​.

Buses, trams and trolleybuses

During 1958, and through the management of the then vice president of the nation, Alejandro Gómez "Alejandro Gómez (vice president)"), the ETR accessed rolling stock for the execution of a trolleybus network. On June 19, 1958, the first trolleybus service was symbolically inaugurated in the city of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)"). The effective inauguration would take place on May 24, 1959, thus beginning the replacement of trams on some trunk lines. Ayolas/Saavedra.[11]​.

On April 15, 1960, trolleybus line H was released into service, which connected Plaza Sarmiento "Plaza Sarmiento (Rosario)") with the Highway Police Control at the access to the town of Granadero Baigorria "Granadero Baigorria (Santa Fe)"), in the northern end of the city.[11]​.

In October 1960, the transfer of tram services to private capital in the form of cooperatives made up of former ETR workers was ordered. Formations were dismantled, replacing them with automotive units. Towards the end of 1962, tram lines 1, 2, 4, 6, 10 and 21 remained in service. They would remain in service until February 11, 1963.[11]​.

It was 1961 when the route of the G trolleybus line was extended, reaching the Bus Terminal "Terminal de Ómnibus Mariano Moreno (Rosario)").[11]​.

On September 10, 1961, trolleybus line J was inaugurated, running between Rosario Central Station of the General Miter Railway and the intersection of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)") and Calle Muñóz, in the southern part of the city.[11]​.

On September 24, 1961, trolleybus line I was inaugurated, as a complement to line H, with a route between Plaza Sarmiento "Plaza Sarmiento (Rosario)") and Plaza Alberdi.[11]​.

On December 3, 1961, the K trolleybus line "Line K (Rosario)") was inaugurated, running between the intersection of Avenida Pellegrini and Calle Necochea, and the intersection of Avenida Mendoza and Calle Nicaragua, the latter sector where it had its warehouse/garage.[11]​.

On January 8, 1962, trolleybus line L was inaugurated, as a complement to line K "Line K (Rosario)"), extending between the intersection of Avenida Pellegrini and Calle Necochea, and the Rosario Oeste Station of the General Belgrano Railway.[11]​.

On February 12, 1963, through a ceremony on the steps of the local Municipal Palace "Palacio de los Leones (Rosario)"), the tram service in the city of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)") ended. During the event, tram cars number 278 and 281 with authorities on board left for the headquarters of offices and workshops located on Pellegrini and Ovidio Lagos avenues, ending there with a symbolic power cut.[11]​.

Buses and trolleybuses

Consolidated as the main transportation network of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)"), and seeing the deterioration of part of the fleet (mainly the MAN brand units, manufactured in 1952), the restructuring of the trolleybus lines begins.

Around 1965, the complementary lines I and L were eliminated, incorporating their units into the until then complemented ones: H and K, correspondingly.[11]​.

As of August 28, 1967, the routes of lines G and J are unified, creating the new trolleybus line M, with a route between the Bus Terminal "Terminal de Ómnibus Mariano Moreno (Rosario)") and the intersection of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)") and Muñóz Street.[11]​.

In 1969, a series of attacks that occurred on September 16, 17 and 18, which was later called the second Rosariazo, left a balance of 48 public transportation units completely destroyed; 11 of them trolleybuses (8 Fiat brand, 3 MAN brand).[11]​[13]​ The H trolleybus line has been out of circulation since then.

In 1970, 23 Mercedes-Benz / Kiepe Elektrik" units were acquired, models 1953 and 1954; 12 unused units from Buenos Aires, the remaining 11 used from the city of Mendoza. As of January 1971, the service of the H trolleybus line was restored, and the service of the M trolleybus line was reinforced, replacing larger units. antiquity.[11]​.

In 1973, the municipality proposed the possibility of creating new routes to replace bus lines that had ceased their services. The purchase of 40 new ZIU brand units from the Soviet Union and 40 used Fiat units from Uruguay was managed.[11]​ The Municipal Ordinance 1956/73 also contemplated the renumbering and modification of routes of all Rosario's passenger transport lines,[11][14]​ with the aim of rearranging them. Only two lines would make the nomenclature change: line 2, which became line 301, awarded to Transportes Progreso Automotor SRL, and line 217, which became line 303, awarded to the companies Nuestra Señora de Fátima SRL and Fisherton SRL.[14]​.

In 1976, after the coup d'état and once the de facto municipal mayor took office, all state participation in public transportation was reduced, canceling plans for the acquisition of units, suppressing the H trolleybus line (because it was considered deficient) and removing the entry of greater economic resources to the General Directorate of Trolleybuses.[11]​ The rearrangement is abandoned.[14]​.

On July 1, 1979, the trolleybus network was privatized, granting the concession to the company Martín Fierro SRL. The company replaces on-board collectors with prepaid magnetic card systems. It also re-bodies several obsolete units.[11]​.

At the beginning of 1980, the company rehabilitated the H trolleybus line, with an extended route to the España neighborhood and Hospitals, but pressure from the bus companies led to its closure again. The same year, the concessionaire resolved to extend the route of trolleybus line M to the north, thus absorbing the route of line H and creating in turn a long route from the northern end to the southern end of the city: the south-north trunk, similar to the one projected in 1954 during the management of the Rosario Transport Company.[11]​[15]​.

Martín Fierro SRL built its own units by scrapping trolleybuses (already in a state of obsolescence) and microbuses. In addition, it acquired 5 Soviet ZIU model 682b trolleybuses. In 1982 the company developed a technological advance for that time: the Electrobús,[16]​ an autonomous vehicle powered by batteries. Prototypes were known that circulated on line M experimentally for a short time, to be later seized by the Municipality of Rosario.[15]​.

Towards the end of 1983, after the return of democracy in the republic, Horacio Usandizaga assumed office. During his administration, public transport concessions, almost all of which have expired, will be ordered. In 1985, through decree 2336, a call for bids was carried out, which would end up being awarded to the same companies that had been providing transportation services. The awards were carried out between March 19 and 26, 1986. The new numbering soon began to be displayed on the vehicles of the awarded borrowers, except for some of them who would make the change much later or not at all.[14] New lines were also established, some of which were short-lived (lines 151, 162 and 163 "Línea de la Costa"). (Rosario)")) or they were never implemented as there were no interested parties in exploiting their routes (lines 149, 150, 152, 156, 159).[17]​.

In the 1990s, factors such as the application of franchises and free passes (half a student ticket, free for those over 69), new economic scenarios and lack of foresight led to the debacle of Rosario's public transport "Rosario (Argentina)"). On November 30, 1990, the municipality declared the expiration of the concession of line 104 to the company Expreso Alberdi SA. Then in 1992 the line was awarded to the company 9 de Julio SRL (provider of interurban services), having a similar purpose. After being awarded again to another borrower, 20 de Junio ​​SRL, it was abandoned as it was considered unprofitable.[14]​.

Similar situations would cause the disappearance of several urban public transport lines, such as: 104, 105, 106 "Line 106 (Rosario)"), 108, 109, 111, 114 "Ronda del Centro Line (Rosario)"), 119, 124, 147, 148, 151, 155, 158, 160, 161 "South Link Line (Rosario)"), 162 and 163 "Coast Line (Rosario)").[14]​.

[18]​.

On December 19, 1996, the Municipal Council approved decree 12548/96 where the municipal Executive was empowered to call for public bidding to hire a consulting firm to carry out a comprehensive study of the system. On September 5, 1997, the mayor awarded the tender to the Systra-Atec consortium. On June 22, 1998, the consultant delivered the report.[19]​[20]​ On July 28, 1998, the report prepared by the consortium was sent to the Council. Between November of the same year and March of 1999, proposals for specifications and proposals for ordinances were sent to the Council to regulate the new transportation system. On April 2, 2000, the Ministry of Public Services issued a call for public bidding for the concession of the new urban passenger transportation system. The exploitation proposal consisted of three groups of transport lines each operated by a company or a group of companies:

• - Group 1 would be in charge of 2 trunk lines (one trunk fed with 9 neighborhood lines and the other trunk with 5 neighborhood lines), 3 express lines (one in the northern corridor and the other two in the southern corridor) and 4 conventional lines;

• - Group 2 would be in charge of 4 trunk lines (one trunk fed with 3 neighborhood lines, another with 6 neighborhood lines, another with 4 neighborhood lines and the other with 3 neighborhood lines), 4 conventional lines and 1 express line;

• - and Group 3 would be in charge of 2 trunk lines (with 3 feeder lines each), 6 conventional lines, 2 express lines and trolleybus line K.[21]​[22]​.

On August 18, 2000, the deadline for the sale of specifications ended. The group of bidders was constituted as follows:

• - Group Martín Fierro.

• - Group COTAL.

• - Group General Belgrano Company.

• - Group Las Delicias and Molino Blanco.

• - Group Plaza.

• - Group Transport Mariano Moreno.

• - Group Company Luján.

On September 8, 2000, the mayor of Rosario, Hermes Binner, opened the envelopes. Of the seven bidders who acquired the specifications, only four presented the envelopes with their respective offers:.

• - Martín Fierro Group (associated with COLCAM, Mercedes-Benz dealer), which bid on the north-south corridor.

• - Grupo Manuel Belgrano (associated with the transport company Ideal San Justo), which bid on the north-south, east-west and southwest corridors.

• - Group COTAL (associated with the bodybuilder La Favorita), which bid on the southwest corridor.

• - Group Las Delicias (associated with the Ugarte bodybuilder), which bid on the southwest corridor.

After various modifications to the project, around 2001 the then Secretary of Public Services Miguel Lifschitz announced the postponement of the bidding process for 180 or 220 days to then resume its analysis. One of the determinants of this fact would have been the expiration of the concession to the business group COTAL[23]​ on lines 112 "Line 112 (Rosario)"), 126 "Line 126 (Rosario)"), 127 "Line 127 (Rosario)"), 129 "Line 129 (Rosario)"), 130 "Line 130 (Rosario)"), 131 "Line 131 (Rosario)"), 132 "Line 132 (Rosario)") and 147&action=edit&redlink=1 "Line 147 (Rosario) (not yet drafted)"), leaving in doubt the ability of the bidding groups to continue with the investments, added to the decline in the number of transport users. public.[24]​.

In July 2001, the Municipality of Rosario, through its newsletter Rosario Informa (year 5, number 27, July/August 2001) published the "Rosario Transportation Recovery Plan", where the Secretariat of Public Services reported the measures that were adopted to improve the service, among them:[25]​.

• - Renovation of 31 1988 and 1989 model units for replacement by newer units.

• - Starting June 30, 2002, 40 1990 model units are put out of circulation for replacement by newer units.

• - Addition of 28 units to the system, raising the total number of them from 585 to 613 in circulation.

• - Incorporation of 12 more units into the system, raising the total amount to 625.

• - Sanction of 991 violation reports issued during the months of April and May.

• - Signing of an agreement (May 14, 2001) with the Institute of Transportation Studies of the National University of Rosario to carry out a technical audit on urban transportation and distribution mechanism of the prepaid magnetic stripe card system.

• - Carrying out accounting audits in all borrowing companies in order to verify their economic-financial situation, destination of the income produced and contributions to the state.

• - Distribution among borrowing companies of the Transportation Compensation Fund established by Ordinance 7099/2000 and Ordinance 7157/2000, made up of what was received as a transportation inspection fee, added to the collection for the metered parking system and the surplus of 35 cents per trip for use of the fair exchange system.

• - Application of the payment system with fair exchange in all urban passenger transport units, as of May 28, 2001.

• - Free telephone line application 0800 888 4188 for claims and information 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

• - Holding meetings with neighborhood associations of the city in each of the six districts to gather concerns and proposals.

• - Start-up of the Urban Passenger Transport Monitoring Commission.

On November 26, 2001, Mayor Hermes Binner signed decree (made official a day later) number 2110 that "repeals the bidding process and allows for the return of bid guarantees to the (three) companies", thus ending the bidding for the new transportation system after considering it unviable in the short and medium term.[25]​.

After a new tender started in 2004,[27]​ and its modifications,[28]​ on December 7, 2006, the then mayor Miguel Lifschitz announced to the future operators of the system:[29]​[30]​

[31]​.

• - Rosario Bus: groups 1 and 2.

• - Las Delicias: group 3.

• - EMTR SA (La Mixta): group 4.

• - SEMTUR: group 5.

In January 2009, and after a new critical episode in local public transportation [32]​[33]​[34]​[35]​[36]​[37]​[38]​[39]​[39]​ the Municipality of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)") determined the expiration of the concession of the company Las Delicias, distributing the service of its lines in operation to the operators SEMTUR, Rosario Bus and La Mixta.[40]​[41]​.

On September 27, 2010, the new contactless card payment method (MIFARE technology) DESFire EV1 was presented to society. It would begin to operate as a pilot test on July 14, 2011, with marketing and mass use beginning on November 23, 2011.[42]​.

On February 12, 2012, the use of Exclusive Lanes for Public Passenger Transportation in Rosario began in accordance with Ordinance 8864/2011[43]​ approved by the Municipal Council. These are spaces on the road reserved for the exclusive circulation of public transport, such as buses, busy taxis, busy vans, school transport, and in emergencies, ambulances and fire and police vehicles.

Electric trams

After some experimental tests and the definitive installation of the Electric Tramway in the city of Buenos Aires in 1897, in Rosario it was decided to call a tender in 1905 for the construction and operation of a network of electric trams, being awarded on September 15, 1905 and for a period of 55 years the Compañía General de Tramways Eléctricos del Rosario (CGTER) of Belgian components Anversoise de Tranways et d’ Entrepisos Electriques of Antwerp, Mutuelle de Tranways and Banco Comtoir de la Bourse, of Brussels, all of them subsumed in 1910 within the SOFINA holding company; The concession signing and receipt of guarantees and guarantees were carried out by the then mayor Santiago Pinasco during the months of September and November 1905.

In March 1906, the rolling stock (forty-seat cars painted white "Blanco (color)") and light blue "Celeste (color)" that would later be repainted cream yellow) and other elements to carry out the installations arrived from Belgium to the port of Rosario. The CGTER would put its generating plant, offices and workshops in three blocks located at the intersection of Pellegrini and Ovidio Lagos avenues, suburbs of the city at that time.

On October 31, 1906, the first electric tram completed its maiden voyage. The next day, the first line, number 9, of the fifteen that the concession granted to the CGTER, began to circulate regularly. The remaining lines were put into service in stages throughout the years 1907 and 1908, with a provision of 100 large trams (with 40 seats) and 60 small trams (with 28 seats), in addition to several coupled trailers. Blood traction (horse trams) will persist in a neighborhood circuit in Arroyito "Lisandro de la Torre (Rosario)") until 1912, the year in which the CGTER finishes commissioning all the lines awarded in the original tender, after notable setbacks due to obstacles on the part of railway companies (reluctant to share tracks and level crossings), unpredictability and lack of state decision-making power, and union conflicts existing since its first days in service.

Starting in 1910, the Société d’Electicité de Rosario was established in the city, made up of capital from the same CGTER, the tram network began to obtain energy from the substation network of the aforementioned society, which until its nationalization in 1952 would provide home electrical service to the city.

The strong growth experienced by the city of Rosario in the first decades of the century was reflected in the number of passengers transported by the CGTER. When the electric transportation system was put out to tender in 1905, the city had 130,000 inhabitants. Twenty years later the population reached 350,000 inhabitants. In 1918, three million more passengers used the tram than originally planned, reaching 22 million passengers annually. In 1925, this figure rose to 55 million. This was reflected in a progressive deterioration in the quality of services. The city was growing but the tram network was not. The trams were traveling beyond their capacity.[9]​.

During the First World War and due to the shortage of coal, the machines generating electrical energy, necessary for the circulation of trams, replaced the fuel with various cereals. Faced with this scenario, the CGTER laid tracks on Rondeau Boulevard to the Sorrento Power Plant, through which the foxes transported loads of corn, sorghum and millet. At the same time, the fleet of two hundred cars (classified as "large", "medium" and "small" according to the number of seats) was maintained in quantity, and to the fifteen lines provided for in the bidding document, at the end of the decade it only added line 20, with a route to the La Piedad cemetery, and made an extension to Fisherton "Fisherton (Rosario)") of a flag (branch or variant) of the line. 14.[6]​.

Electric buses and trams

In 1911, the automobile intended for urban passenger transportation made a brief appearance.[10]​ In the early 1920s and given the CGTER's refusal to establish new lines, the municipality opened a tender for other companies to participate in the creation of new tram lines. It turns out to be deserted. This situation, added to the demand of the public and the authorities, reached its climax in 1923, when the Municipality of Rosario authorized the free circulation and operation of automobiles intended for the transport of passengers, with the freedom to establish routes and rates "Tariff (public service)"). As a consequence, hundreds of self-employed workers using various types of vehicles entered the competition, generally using observable "superposition" strategies on the tram corridors and making trips beyond the ends of their network, obtaining the favor of the public who lived in remote areas.[6]​[10]​.

In 1928, social unrest had tram and port workers as protagonists of various protests. One of them was an indefinite strike, which forced the CGTER to operate the trams with superior personnel and strikebreakers, which circulated protected by security forces due to the risk they ran due to the population's rejection of the company's attitude. After pressure from the national government, the CGTER had to satisfy the demands of its employees. This, together with competition from automotive transport, led to the company's balance sheets being losses in the following years.

In the early 1930s, tension between the state and the CGTER arose over the laying of the rails of Line 8. It connected the central area with the spa located on the Saladillo stream "Arroyo Saladillo (Santa Fe)"), at the southern end of the city. The rails were located next to the curbs of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)"). The municipal authorities demanded that the company locate its tracks in the central bed, a requirement that was met. At the same time, the municipality demanded that they be relocated next to the cordons. The company refused to do it. Given this, municipal workers raised the tracks at the intersection of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)") and Ayolas Street. The CGTER reestablished the service by transferring passengers by bus, and in turn resorted to legal avenues. During the following years the accusations between both parties, the municipal state and the CGTER, came to light.[6]​.

Finally, on February 11, 1932, the CGTER board considered it uneconomical to continue providing the service and declared a lock-out.[9]​ For 27 days the city was left without tram service.[7]​ 1,200 workers did not receive their salaries. The transportation of the inhabitants was extremely complex: thousands of people traveled on foot between their homes and places of work, while the buses were not able to satisfy the demand. At night, the neighborhoods remained isolated from the city center.[9]​.

The company's refusal to restore services, its demands for control of motor transport, its requests for permission to replace tram lines with trolleybuses and for permits to eliminate some existing tram lines, were not welcomed by the municipality, which considered them unacceptable. On April 8, 1932, the progressive Democratic majority of the Deliberative Council declared the expiration of the concession granted to the Compañía General de Tramways Eléctricos del Rosario. The local and provincial governments turned to a novel alternative: municipalizing Rosario's public transportation. This intervention constituted the first large-scale municipalization that was carried out in Argentine cities.[9]​.

On September 15, 1932, the Mixed Municipal Transportation Company of Rosario (EMMTR) began its services, using the assets of the CGTER. The outgoing company was financially compensated for the years remaining until the end of the original concession until 1960. Its headquarters in Brussels was notified of this. The SOFINA holding continued with its operations in the electric energy market.[6]​ The brand new company began a repair plan for vehicles, tracks, overhead contact lines "Catenary (railway)"), electrical infrastructure and lighting. At the same time, the acquisition of private motor vehicles with public transportation services began, culminating in the second half of the 1930s. The EMMTR completed incomplete lines, such as 26, which was extended on Avenida Ovidio Lagos from Boulevard 27 de Febrero to Avenida Battle y Ordóñez.[7]​.

Around 1944, after the repurchase of the titles of its private shareholders, the Municipal Joint Transportation Company of Rosario was established as the Municipal Transportation Company of Rosario (EMTR), continuing with the maintenance of the fleet, made difficult by the reduction of supplies and spare parts due to the development of the Second World War. The construction of mechanical trams powered by combustion engines was experimented with, which were nicknamed Santa Marta. By 1945, more than 133 million passengers were transported in Rosario, 110 million of them by tram, 15 million by bus, 6 million by minibus and almost 2 million by mechanical trams. Used trams were acquired from the Quilmes and Balnearios Tram Company, from the city of the same name "Quilmes (Buenos Aires)"), province of Buenos Aires. Almost 300 cars were part of the tram fleet at that time.[7]​.

At the beginning of 1950, after the implementation of new salary and social policies, the impossibility of making tariff adjustments to face the increase in the cost of supplies and spare parts, and the need for high subsidies, the Municipality transferred the administration and exploitation to the government of the province of Santa Fe, creating the Empresa de Transporte de Rosario (ETR). It continued to repair and maintain the tram fleet, without building new lines. By 1955 there were 25 tram lines on a 169-kilometer stretch of tracks; 109 million passengers were transported in these formations, compared to the 50 million transported by 24 bus lines (microbuses had gone out of circulation in 1953). In subsequent years, several trams arrived from Buenos Aires in an attempt to alleviate the inconveniences generated by the lack of repair and modernization of local units.[7]​.

Buses, trams and trolleybuses

During 1958, and through the management of the then vice president of the nation, Alejandro Gómez "Alejandro Gómez (vice president)"), the ETR accessed rolling stock for the execution of a trolleybus network. On June 19, 1958, the first trolleybus service was symbolically inaugurated in the city of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)"). The effective inauguration would take place on May 24, 1959, thus beginning the replacement of trams on some trunk lines. Ayolas/Saavedra.[11]​.

On April 15, 1960, trolleybus line H was released into service, which connected Plaza Sarmiento "Plaza Sarmiento (Rosario)") with the Highway Police Control at the access to the town of Granadero Baigorria "Granadero Baigorria (Santa Fe)"), in the northern end of the city.[11]​.

In October 1960, the transfer of tram services to private capital in the form of cooperatives made up of former ETR workers was ordered. Formations were dismantled, replacing them with automotive units. Towards the end of 1962, tram lines 1, 2, 4, 6, 10 and 21 remained in service. They would remain in service until February 11, 1963.[11]​.

It was 1961 when the route of the G trolleybus line was extended, reaching the Bus Terminal "Terminal de Ómnibus Mariano Moreno (Rosario)").[11]​.

On September 10, 1961, trolleybus line J was inaugurated, running between Rosario Central Station of the General Miter Railway and the intersection of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)") and Calle Muñóz, in the southern part of the city.[11]​.

On September 24, 1961, trolleybus line I was inaugurated, as a complement to line H, with a route between Plaza Sarmiento "Plaza Sarmiento (Rosario)") and Plaza Alberdi.[11]​.

On December 3, 1961, the K trolleybus line "Line K (Rosario)") was inaugurated, running between the intersection of Avenida Pellegrini and Calle Necochea, and the intersection of Avenida Mendoza and Calle Nicaragua, the latter sector where it had its warehouse/garage.[11]​.

On January 8, 1962, trolleybus line L was inaugurated, as a complement to line K "Line K (Rosario)"), extending between the intersection of Avenida Pellegrini and Calle Necochea, and the Rosario Oeste Station of the General Belgrano Railway.[11]​.

On February 12, 1963, through a ceremony on the steps of the local Municipal Palace "Palacio de los Leones (Rosario)"), the tram service in the city of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)") ended. During the event, tram cars number 278 and 281 with authorities on board left for the headquarters of offices and workshops located on Pellegrini and Ovidio Lagos avenues, ending there with a symbolic power cut.[11]​.

Buses and trolleybuses

Consolidated as the main transportation network of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)"), and seeing the deterioration of part of the fleet (mainly the MAN brand units, manufactured in 1952), the restructuring of the trolleybus lines begins.

Around 1965, the complementary lines I and L were eliminated, incorporating their units into the until then complemented ones: H and K, correspondingly.[11]​.

As of August 28, 1967, the routes of lines G and J are unified, creating the new trolleybus line M, with a route between the Bus Terminal "Terminal de Ómnibus Mariano Moreno (Rosario)") and the intersection of Avenida San Martín "Calle San Martín (Rosario)") and Muñóz Street.[11]​.

In 1969, a series of attacks that occurred on September 16, 17 and 18, which was later called the second Rosariazo, left a balance of 48 public transportation units completely destroyed; 11 of them trolleybuses (8 Fiat brand, 3 MAN brand).[11]​[13]​ The H trolleybus line has been out of circulation since then.

In 1970, 23 Mercedes-Benz / Kiepe Elektrik" units were acquired, models 1953 and 1954; 12 unused units from Buenos Aires, the remaining 11 used from the city of Mendoza. As of January 1971, the service of the H trolleybus line was restored, and the service of the M trolleybus line was reinforced, replacing larger units. antiquity.[11]​.

In 1973, the municipality proposed the possibility of creating new routes to replace bus lines that had ceased their services. The purchase of 40 new ZIU brand units from the Soviet Union and 40 used Fiat units from Uruguay was managed.[11]​ The Municipal Ordinance 1956/73 also contemplated the renumbering and modification of routes of all Rosario's passenger transport lines,[11][14]​ with the aim of rearranging them. Only two lines would make the nomenclature change: line 2, which became line 301, awarded to Transportes Progreso Automotor SRL, and line 217, which became line 303, awarded to the companies Nuestra Señora de Fátima SRL and Fisherton SRL.[14]​.

In 1976, after the coup d'état and once the de facto municipal mayor took office, all state participation in public transportation was reduced, canceling plans for the acquisition of units, suppressing the H trolleybus line (because it was considered deficient) and removing the entry of greater economic resources to the General Directorate of Trolleybuses.[11]​ The rearrangement is abandoned.[14]​.

On July 1, 1979, the trolleybus network was privatized, granting the concession to the company Martín Fierro SRL. The company replaces on-board collectors with prepaid magnetic card systems. It also re-bodies several obsolete units.[11]​.

At the beginning of 1980, the company rehabilitated the H trolleybus line, with an extended route to the España neighborhood and Hospitals, but pressure from the bus companies led to its closure again. The same year, the concessionaire resolved to extend the route of trolleybus line M to the north, thus absorbing the route of line H and creating in turn a long route from the northern end to the southern end of the city: the south-north trunk, similar to the one projected in 1954 during the management of the Rosario Transport Company.[11]​[15]​.

Martín Fierro SRL built its own units by scrapping trolleybuses (already in a state of obsolescence) and microbuses. In addition, it acquired 5 Soviet ZIU model 682b trolleybuses. In 1982 the company developed a technological advance for that time: the Electrobús,[16]​ an autonomous vehicle powered by batteries. Prototypes were known that circulated on line M experimentally for a short time, to be later seized by the Municipality of Rosario.[15]​.

Towards the end of 1983, after the return of democracy in the republic, Horacio Usandizaga assumed office. During his administration, public transport concessions, almost all of which have expired, will be ordered. In 1985, through decree 2336, a call for bids was carried out, which would end up being awarded to the same companies that had been providing transportation services. The awards were carried out between March 19 and 26, 1986. The new numbering soon began to be displayed on the vehicles of the awarded borrowers, except for some of them who would make the change much later or not at all.[14] New lines were also established, some of which were short-lived (lines 151, 162 and 163 "Línea de la Costa"). (Rosario)")) or they were never implemented as there were no interested parties in exploiting their routes (lines 149, 150, 152, 156, 159).[17]​.

In the 1990s, factors such as the application of franchises and free passes (half a student ticket, free for those over 69), new economic scenarios and lack of foresight led to the debacle of Rosario's public transport "Rosario (Argentina)"). On November 30, 1990, the municipality declared the expiration of the concession of line 104 to the company Expreso Alberdi SA. Then in 1992 the line was awarded to the company 9 de Julio SRL (provider of interurban services), having a similar purpose. After being awarded again to another borrower, 20 de Junio ​​SRL, it was abandoned as it was considered unprofitable.[14]​.

Similar situations would cause the disappearance of several urban public transport lines, such as: 104, 105, 106 "Line 106 (Rosario)"), 108, 109, 111, 114 "Ronda del Centro Line (Rosario)"), 119, 124, 147, 148, 151, 155, 158, 160, 161 "South Link Line (Rosario)"), 162 and 163 "Coast Line (Rosario)").[14]​.

[18]​.

On December 19, 1996, the Municipal Council approved decree 12548/96 where the municipal Executive was empowered to call for public bidding to hire a consulting firm to carry out a comprehensive study of the system. On September 5, 1997, the mayor awarded the tender to the Systra-Atec consortium. On June 22, 1998, the consultant delivered the report.[19]​[20]​ On July 28, 1998, the report prepared by the consortium was sent to the Council. Between November of the same year and March of 1999, proposals for specifications and proposals for ordinances were sent to the Council to regulate the new transportation system. On April 2, 2000, the Ministry of Public Services issued a call for public bidding for the concession of the new urban passenger transportation system. The exploitation proposal consisted of three groups of transport lines each operated by a company or a group of companies:

• - Group 1 would be in charge of 2 trunk lines (one trunk fed with 9 neighborhood lines and the other trunk with 5 neighborhood lines), 3 express lines (one in the northern corridor and the other two in the southern corridor) and 4 conventional lines;

• - Group 2 would be in charge of 4 trunk lines (one trunk fed with 3 neighborhood lines, another with 6 neighborhood lines, another with 4 neighborhood lines and the other with 3 neighborhood lines), 4 conventional lines and 1 express line;

• - and Group 3 would be in charge of 2 trunk lines (with 3 feeder lines each), 6 conventional lines, 2 express lines and trolleybus line K.[21]​[22]​.

On August 18, 2000, the deadline for the sale of specifications ended. The group of bidders was constituted as follows:

• - Group Martín Fierro.

• - Group COTAL.

• - Group General Belgrano Company.

• - Group Las Delicias and Molino Blanco.

• - Group Plaza.

• - Group Transport Mariano Moreno.

• - Group Company Luján.

On September 8, 2000, the mayor of Rosario, Hermes Binner, opened the envelopes. Of the seven bidders who acquired the specifications, only four presented the envelopes with their respective offers:.

• - Martín Fierro Group (associated with COLCAM, Mercedes-Benz dealer), which bid on the north-south corridor.

• - Grupo Manuel Belgrano (associated with the transport company Ideal San Justo), which bid on the north-south, east-west and southwest corridors.

• - Group COTAL (associated with the bodybuilder La Favorita), which bid on the southwest corridor.

• - Group Las Delicias (associated with the Ugarte bodybuilder), which bid on the southwest corridor.

After various modifications to the project, around 2001 the then Secretary of Public Services Miguel Lifschitz announced the postponement of the bidding process for 180 or 220 days to then resume its analysis. One of the determinants of this fact would have been the expiration of the concession to the business group COTAL[23]​ on lines 112 "Line 112 (Rosario)"), 126 "Line 126 (Rosario)"), 127 "Line 127 (Rosario)"), 129 "Line 129 (Rosario)"), 130 "Line 130 (Rosario)"), 131 "Line 131 (Rosario)"), 132 "Line 132 (Rosario)") and 147&action=edit&redlink=1 "Line 147 (Rosario) (not yet drafted)"), leaving in doubt the ability of the bidding groups to continue with the investments, added to the decline in the number of transport users. public.[24]​.

In July 2001, the Municipality of Rosario, through its newsletter Rosario Informa (year 5, number 27, July/August 2001) published the "Rosario Transportation Recovery Plan", where the Secretariat of Public Services reported the measures that were adopted to improve the service, among them:[25]​.

• - Renovation of 31 1988 and 1989 model units for replacement by newer units.

• - Starting June 30, 2002, 40 1990 model units are put out of circulation for replacement by newer units.

• - Addition of 28 units to the system, raising the total number of them from 585 to 613 in circulation.

• - Incorporation of 12 more units into the system, raising the total amount to 625.

• - Sanction of 991 violation reports issued during the months of April and May.

• - Signing of an agreement (May 14, 2001) with the Institute of Transportation Studies of the National University of Rosario to carry out a technical audit on urban transportation and distribution mechanism of the prepaid magnetic stripe card system.

• - Carrying out accounting audits in all borrowing companies in order to verify their economic-financial situation, destination of the income produced and contributions to the state.

• - Distribution among borrowing companies of the Transportation Compensation Fund established by Ordinance 7099/2000 and Ordinance 7157/2000, made up of what was received as a transportation inspection fee, added to the collection for the metered parking system and the surplus of 35 cents per trip for use of the fair exchange system.

• - Application of the payment system with fair exchange in all urban passenger transport units, as of May 28, 2001.

• - Free telephone line application 0800 888 4188 for claims and information 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

• - Holding meetings with neighborhood associations of the city in each of the six districts to gather concerns and proposals.

• - Start-up of the Urban Passenger Transport Monitoring Commission.

On November 26, 2001, Mayor Hermes Binner signed decree (made official a day later) number 2110 that "repeals the bidding process and allows for the return of bid guarantees to the (three) companies", thus ending the bidding for the new transportation system after considering it unviable in the short and medium term.[25]​.

After a new tender started in 2004,[27]​ and its modifications,[28]​ on December 7, 2006, the then mayor Miguel Lifschitz announced to the future operators of the system:[29]​[30]​

[31]​.

• - Rosario Bus: groups 1 and 2.

• - Las Delicias: group 3.

• - EMTR SA (La Mixta): group 4.

• - SEMTUR: group 5.

In January 2009, and after a new critical episode in local public transportation [32]​[33]​[34]​[35]​[36]​[37]​[38]​[39]​[39]​ the Municipality of Rosario "Rosario (Argentina)") determined the expiration of the concession of the company Las Delicias, distributing the service of its lines in operation to the operators SEMTUR, Rosario Bus and La Mixta.[40]​[41]​.

On September 27, 2010, the new contactless card payment method (MIFARE technology) DESFire EV1 was presented to society. It would begin to operate as a pilot test on July 14, 2011, with marketing and mass use beginning on November 23, 2011.[42]​.

On February 12, 2012, the use of Exclusive Lanes for Public Passenger Transportation in Rosario began in accordance with Ordinance 8864/2011[43]​ approved by the Municipal Council. These are spaces on the road reserved for the exclusive circulation of public transport, such as buses, busy taxis, busy vans, school transport, and in emergencies, ambulances and fire and police vehicles.