s. h. farias do couto

River transport is the main form of transport for traditional communities in the Amazon, responsible for the quality of life and survival of riverine communities. The aim of the research was to describe public policies and the accessibility of river transport in the Amazon as factors responsible for the quality of life of the traditional population in the Amazon. Accessibility was assessed at passenger river terminals in the cities of Santarém and Oriximiná, which were chosen for their representativeness of the sample, as they are exclusively used by the population for transport and are cargo distribution centres. Public policies were assessed based on politicians’ positions in the creation of the new port law, using stenographic notes.