mini vans have caused confusion to many first-time visitors to rio, who have often wondered why someone leaning out of a white van is shouting at them - the mini vans in rio are used as an alternative to the public bus service.

the vans in rio are privately owned and even though some of them are licensed, on the whole they are illegal, but are tolerated by the city government as they cover a lot of routes that the public buses do not.

they are an attractive option for those out late at night as they run 24 hours, and if they are not full, they can be quicker than a bus - it is perhaps advisable that only visitors who know rio well or ones that are traveling with locals use this service in the night, especially as the driver and fare collector are not likely to speak any english and it may be easy for some travelers to end up lost.