is located between two of the most important airports in the region, it is an alternative for international flights. Situated 15 km from downtown, the airport can be reached by car or bus in about 20 minutes via Fernando Guilhon Highway. The airport was opened in 1977 by the Brazilian Air Force; in 1980 it was transferred to Infraero, a government agency responsible for operating the major Brazilian airports. The airport handles traffic from six airlines connecting Santarém to the country and the world. As of September 2012, the airport was undergoing renovation and expansion of the Passenger Terminal Building and Parking lot to accommodate increased passenger traffic. Highways BR-163 connects Santarém with southern Brazil. A large portion of it is not paved which renders the highway nearly unusable during the wet season. BR-230 connects BR-163 to the state capital. Fluvial The rivers and waterways are still the central means of transporting passenger and cargo due to the poor conditions of the highways and the high price of airplane travel. Santarém is a popular destination for cruise ships on the Amazon, which make Port of Santarém regularly in the City Docks. The docks are administrated by the CDP (Companhia Docas do Pará) and are the second most important in the state, second only to Belém, due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Most nearby villages have no roads and can only be reached by boat; trips can take up to 12 hours depending on the boat and the destination. The Cargill Port is a private port near the Docks. It exports soybean and has capacity for storing 60,000 tons of soy. There is also a makeshift port near Tiradentes Square administered by the City, where small and medium-sized boats dock. As of 2012 a new Fluvial Terminal was under construction to replace the existing one. Public Transportation The Public Transportation System is made of: Urban bus service, Suburban bus service, Personal automobile transportation service (Taxi), Personal motorcycle transportation service (known as MotoTaxi), and School transportation service. The public transportation services are administered by the Municipal Transportation Department, which plans and promotes traffic development. Traffic safety is administered by several governmental agencies such as the Transit Police branch of the State Police (PTRAN), the Brazilian Highway Police based in Santarém, the DMV, and the transportation department through its fiscal management and guards. Education Santarém has 457 municipal schools accommodating 62,121