Rio declares holidays on mid-week World Cup match days

Rio de Janeiro has announced it will introduce city-wide holidays when World Cup matches are played midweek in a bid to avoid traffic gridlock.

Half-day holidays will be held when Spain play Chile on June 18 and Ecuador meet France a week later, while municipal workers will be given the whole day off on July 4 when the city hosts a quarter-final. "The measure is designed to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and minimise possible problems for the population, as well as make it easier for fans to get to and from the Maracana stadium," the city said in a statement. The four other matches to be held in Rio, including the final on July 13, take place at the weekend. More cities are expected to follow Rio`s lead in a bid to avoid transportation chaos. Although successive Brazilian governments promised an overhaul of the country`s antiquated public transport system ahead of the tournament, many of the projects originally planned have failed to progress.