At the gates of the holiday period, 66% of the buses in Havana are out of service, assured this Tuesday José Conesa González, coordinator of Industry and Transportation. Added to this crisis are other problems that families in the capital have been dealing with for months, such as cuts in the water supply and delays in the delivery of the basic food basket since May.
At the meeting of the Temporary Working Group in Havana on July 4, in which a review to the fulfillment of different services, each official who paraded shared data that left a desolate panorama for the families.
In the statements collected by the official newspaper Havana Tribune, Conesa González confirmed that only 294 (34%) of the 894 buses of the Provincial Transport Company are operational. Despite the discouraging figures, the official made an effort to explain that an alleviation of the situation is expected with the recovery of six vehicles in the first half of July, which will be used for school transfers.
Las Playas del Este will have 30 school buses and, added the director, starting this weekend the transfer of passengers will also be reactivated. He recalled that the connection by sea towards the municipality of Regla it remains suspended until August and the transfer is made with only four vehicles.
Despite the discouraging figures, the official made an effort to explain that an alleviation of the situation is expected with the recovery of six vehicles in the first half of July
Conesa González also offered a summary of the electricity service conditions in Havana. The official pointed out that 200 transformers in the residential sector are damaged due to “excess consumption.” It is not the first time that the provincial authorities use this excuse to justify the current shortage: at the end of June they indicated that the daily demand exceeds 25% of what was planned and “more is demanded than what the electrical system can provide”.
From the poorest communities to the exclusive neighborhood of Miramar, where the diplomatic headquarters are located, the water supply will continue to be a headache for Havanans. César Hernández Carrazana, coordinator of Construction Programs and Objectives in Havana, explained that 87,214 people are still without service. He assured that they are working on repairing the pumps to reestablish the connection in the most critical areas, although he acknowledged that a large part of the operation depends on the importation of new equipment.
The import order includes 23 pumping machines, but the first 12 will arrive on July 31 and the rest at the end of August. The scarcity of water also affects other provinces, just last week in the neighborhood of Guatemala, in Mayarí (Holguín), there were a demonstration to demand the restoration of the service after three months of shortages and instability.
To calm popular discontent, the authorities announced that they are analyzing the installation of “easy access points”, such as water tanks in critical areas. In the next few days, one will be set up in Villa Panamericana for multi-family buildings in that area of Habana del Este.
The inhabitants of the capital also expect the Government to comply with the delivery of the coffee corresponding to the standard basket of May
For the rest of the communities, there are 62 tanker cars that carry water to the families of Old Havana, Plaza de la Revolución, Centro Habana, La Lisa, Playa and Marianao. However, “they do not cover all the needs” of the population, acknowledged Leonel Díaz Hernández, director of Aguas de La Habana, who also warned that citizens who profit from the pipe service will be prosecuted.
The inhabitants of the capital also hope that the Government complies with the delivery of the coffee corresponding to the normed basket of May. Julio Martínez Brito, in charge of food distribution in the province, assured that 50 tons of oil are obtained daily for this month and promised that the delivery of the pound of sugar for July will be completed this week.
In the session, an ultimatum was also given for “social indiscipline and illegalities”, against which they plan to carry out intensive confrontations, assured Orestes Llanes Mestre, coordinator of Inspection, Control and Hygiene.
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