According to state representative Caio França (PSB), Santos Port has grown significantly, but still faces some logistical and structural challenges in its expansion. For the parliamentarian, coordination between the federal government, state, and municipalities is essential to enable investments in the port complex and consolidate it as a globally competitive logistics hub.
One of the measures advocated by Caio França is the expansion of the Port's operational area to include the municipality of São Vicente within the port boundary, a vision that was presented directly to the Santos Port Authority and to the former Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho.
According to the representative, the effort to include São Vicente within the port boundary (a project that has been underway for two years) is seen as a step toward enabling backland activities and intelligent expansion, generating employment, income and investments without further pressuring the traditional urban core.
According to him, it is necessary to balance Port expansion with urban and environmental sustainability. The expansion must comply with rigorous environmental criteria and include participation from local communities. Some of the challenges include preserving the rich biodiversity of the Baixada Santista Metropolitan Region, mitigating the impacts of port expansion on the region, and integrating urban infrastructure with logistics, promoting mobility and quality of life.
Regarding the future, Caio França projects an increasingly modern, integrated and competitive Santos Port on the international stage, featuring greater multimodal participation, greater operational efficiency and expanded capacity. The parliamentarian added that the projects to expand the boundary (which include areas such as São Vicente) are part of a strategic vision to expand backland facilities and strengthen the region as a national and international port logistics hub.
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