MADRID, Spain.- During the year 2022, passenger transportation in Cuba “had a marked decrease”, with the National Buses covering only 43% of the interprovincial departures that were made before 2019.
A report presented by Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, Minister of Transportation, indicates that for this year it was estimated to reach 1,733 million passengers transported, 17% less than what was achieved before the pandemic. “However, the plan has only been fulfilled at 59%, with 1.5 billion.”
The document, presented at a meeting of the Commission for Attention to Services of the Cuban Parliament, also indicates that the provincial transport companies are at around 42% of the coefficient of technical availability (CDT) at the national level. However, there are provinces with even lower figures such as Santiago de Cuba (23%), Guantánamo (26%) and Pinar del Río (30%).
In the case of National Buses, it is at 48%; Transmetro, 50%, and Schoolchildren, 53% of their CDT.
According to Rodríguez Dávila, this situation, which has historically affected Cubans, is due to the economic crisis derived from COVID-19; fuel limitations and, the always mentioned for all the ills of Cuba, US embargo.
Cuban officials also referred to private carriers, “who move around 30% of all passengers.”
“It is striking that a quarter of the people who had operating licenses have had them suspended or canceled this year. Many charge high prices in order to offset expenses. At the end of September, these forms of management had only transported 44% of what was planned”, indicates the report, reviewed by Cubadebate.
In the specific case of Pinar del Río, deputy Mersi Reinosa Torres, from the Los Palacios municipality, commented that in recent years the problems in passenger transportation have worsened; among other factors, because the Base Business Units (UEB) themselves do not have income to support the salary of their employees.
According to Cuban managers, a slight recovery in mobility is expected for next year, with an estimated 1.3 billion passengers to move, 62% of what was achieved in 2019.
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