With a Father's Eye, Artran Employees Share Stories of Care and Dedication
Working in ports, terminals, and highways, employees transform the paternal gaze into welcome and safety for the people of Pará
In reference to Father's Month, the Regulatory and Control Agency for Public Transport Services of Pará (Artran) gathered moving accounts from employees who, in addition to being dedicated professionals in intermunicipal mobility, share the commitment to care: both at home and outside. There are 58 collaborators spread across ports, terminals, and inspection posts in various regions of the state who apply the same attentive and affectionate gaze they dedicate to their children in their daily work.
Present in cities such as Belém, Abaetetuba, Altamira, Itaituba, Marabá, Santarém, Soure, Almeirim, Castanhal, Breves, among others, these employees ensure that thousands of passengers travel with safety, respect, and attention, values that also guide fatherhood.
Care Born from Experience
At the Amazonat and Rodofluvial Barcarena ports, in Ver-o-Peso, Belém, Anderson da Costa e Silva, a 40-year-old transport controller, goes beyond inspection. A father of Alice, 14, and Guilherme, 6 (who has Autism Spectrum Disorder), he realized that the role of a public servant also involves listening and empathy. "There are boat sirens that exceed 300 decibels. When they sound, some children get very nervous, others give up traveling. We talk to the captains to hold the siren, explaining that there are children with ASD. This care has only become routine because today we have controllers who are parents. Before, there was no such sensitivity," he reported.
Anderson shares that he felt touched when he began his work in water transport. "I remembered that I was there because of my wife and children. That gives me energy. I have taken my children to see me working, and they were enchanted. The father's gaze makes everything easier. We start to see people with more empathy," he added.
The experience of fatherhood also brought new meanings to the work of Lucas Ferreira, 27, father of little Isadora, just 1 year and 4 months old. Even with little time in the role, he has already experienced significant situations at the terminal where he works. "I helped a mother alone with three children. The children had free passage, but she couldn't afford her own ticket. We talked to the operators and managed to help her. I got home, hugged my daughter, and thanked God. That marked me," he recalled.
Welcoming and Guidance on the Journey
At the Arapari port, in Cidade Velha, controller Gilberto Marçal, 46, also reinforces care for passengers. A father of two children, one 23 years old and the other just 3, he daily accompanies the disembarkation of people coming from the interior of the state seeking health treatment in the capital.
"Many arrive not knowing where to go. As a public servant and father, I feel obligated to guide, to ensure they do not suffer accidents, to know their rights. We empathize with these stories," he stated.
In the inspection of intermunicipal road transport, paternal dedication is also reflected in heightened attention. Rildo Gonçalves de Almada, 59, works in Abaetetuba, his hometown, and is the father of four children. For him, care goes beyond technique.
"I feel a father's love for each passenger. Knowing that they will travel safely and comfortably puts me at ease. It's as if I were helping to take care of someone's family," he said, highlighting that he has always encouraged his children to study and treat people with respect.
With a career dating back to the 1970s, João Batista Henrique de Oliveira, 73, has over 50 years of public service. A father of four children and grandfather of five grandchildren, he proudly remembers when his father took him, as a young man, to work at the former State Road Department. "I educated my family with what I learned here. Life taught me that transport is also about caring for people," he said, emotionally.
Leadership with Sensitivity
Celso Cruz, manager of water transport at Artran, also embodies the paternal spirit in the professional environment. At 70 years old, with three children and five grandchildren, he has worked as a teacher and has dedicated over 16 years to the inspection of river transport in the state. "I treat everyone like my children. When you have a father's gaze, the coexistence at work becomes more humane. I always try to understand the difficulties of the operators and support the employees. When they grow and strengthen, the whole population benefits," Celso emphasized.
For him, fatherhood teaches lessons that transcend family ties. "Caring, listening, advising. This also applies in the professional environment. The important thing is to inspire and help others grow," he concluded.
