AREQUIPA, Peru – Some 3,168,860 Cubans used the National Bus Company vehicles during the first half of this year. The figure represents a decrease compared to the same period in 2023, when 727,680 more passengers were transported.
Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, Cuban Minister of Transport, reported on Facebook on the indicators that reflect the crisis in the sector on the Island. In this regard, he shared that 25,620 trips were made in the first six months of last year.
“This decrease is mainly concentrated in freight services to organizations and institutions, since regular transportation to the population remains at similar levels,” the publication states.
The minister also explained that the main cause of this decline is the decrease in the company’s technical availability coefficient (CDT), which was 70.1% at the end of the first half of 2023, compared to 50.1% at the same time in 2024.
The quality of service has been significantly affected by the increase in buses breaking down on the road and transfers, in addition to the drop in the punctuality rate to 92%.
“The main breaks on the road are associated with problems with the clutch system, hydraulic hoses, suspensions, suspension valves, blockages in the fuel supply system due to low fuel level, turbo, injection knock, punctures and others, which increase with the years of operation of the fleet,” highlights Rodríguez Dávila.
The head of the government once again described the situation in this activity as “very complex,” in which the Cuban regime has failed to recover (at least) many of the routes that existed before COVID-19 and other destinations do so much less frequently than at that time.
“Increasing the revenues in freely convertible currency of the transport sector, and in particular that of this company, and being able to allocate part of them to sustain these services is the only way to transform this reality,” said the minister.
A few months ago, Eduardo Rodriguez Davila He also said that at the end of April, 52% of the routes of the provincial transport companies were paralyzed.
In addition to the reduced number of active routes, 86% only offered one trip in the morning and another in the afternoon. The most affected provinces were Camagüey, Granma, Villa Clara, Ciego de Ávila, Holguín, Matanzas and Artemisa.
Rodríguez Dávila said at the time that transport in the country was going through “one of the worst moments in recent years.”
In Cuba, five years ago, there were twice as many vehicles moving around as there are now. And this year, the number of passengers using state-owned transport in Cuba decreased by 12.2% during the first six months, compared to the same period in the previous year.
The most significant reduction in absolute terms was observed in public buses, with a contraction of 29.6%, equivalent to 50 million fewer trips. This decline was especially noticeable in suburban and urban services, the most used by the Cuban population in their daily travels.
