Although successful overall, South Africa 2010 suffered from urban mobility and transport issues and a similar situation, without serious work and in some cases miracles over the next three and a half years, awaits in Brazil.
For the 2014 World Cup Brazil has committed to major improvements to the transport systems of all 12 host cities yet in many cases there are simply no perfect solutions viable or even possible, thanks in large part to years of unplanned urban sprawl, uncontrollable growth of slum areas, poor city infrastructure development, irrepressible weather conditions, and a range of other related factors.
To approach the challenge, the federal, state and city governments have established a bold urban mobility plan complete with special financing conditions utilising the federal government´s development bank called CAIXA. R$ 11.4 billion is available overall, with many projects already underway right across the country, and most aiming for a 2013 completion date (a list of all projects is available in the `matrix of responsibility`, which stipulates all spending on Cup stadia and urban mobility projects). What remains to be seen is how well the projects will unfold and how much difference the works will make.
Airports are a related issue also worrying the powers that be, with all twelve cities requiring significantly increased passenger handling capacities and upgraded facilities for the 2014 event. Despite the apprehension, it is easier to see solutions to most airport dilemmas given the recent approval of R$5.4 billion in funding for the upgrade projects, which fall under the federal government´s airports body, plus the fact that most are already at or above full capacity and therefore in need of improvement regardless of the 2014 Cup.
So while landing and getting through the airports should be reasonable at worst, the real test will come transferring to and from and getting around the cities.