Lucas Garve, CPI
HAVANA, May - On the occasion of an international tourism fair held in
Havana, the minister of transportation said that 200 buses for public
transportation will be assembled in a plant in Guanajay and be put in service
soon. His words were broadcast during a newscast on national TV.
What the minister didn't explain is why the buses that are in service do not
leave the terminals at the appointed time. Lack of fuel? Cuba sold 250
thousand tons of it in 1999. In spite of an increase of 1.9 percent in
transportation services -according to "Cuba: general characteristics of
recent evolution" in Economic Study for Latin America and the Caribbean,
1999-2000, CEPAL- at the bus stop for route 4, at the corner of Prado and
Consulado Streets, the line of people waiting for the bus does not decrease.
May 14, 7:30 p.m. A number 4 bus left en route to Párraga. 9 p.m.,
the next bus showed up. According to many potential riders, whoever could not
leave at 9 p.m... would have to wait. May 15, 8:15 p.m., the number 4 bus has
not gone by since 6:30 p.m. Some 70 people, adults with children, carrying
packages, wait. A bus came by at about 9:20 p.m. The buses take 41 seating and
10 or 12 standing when they depart from the head of Prado Street. The passengers
at other stops? Only between 5 and 10 can ride. Since the aisle is very narrow,
moving is very difficult.
The people waiting in line keep busy speculating: "If the minister of
transportation had to go home in a bus." "There are only buses in the
TV newscast." Another voice: "In the TV newscast, there is plenty of
everything." Another voice: "Yeah, but I don't have a color TV, mine
is in black and white." "There are buses for the tourists; did you see
the one that went by... it was empty."
There is plenty of speculation, and when the time comes for the bus to
leave, the driver has to struggle for the extra passengers to get off quietly...
although sometimes there is trouble.
Next to the housing problem, that of transportation is critical in Havana.
It's not by chance that the number of private operators grew by 33 percent last
year. Currently, many private citizens stop their car and pick up passengers for
10 pesos per trip.
A worker paying for a trip in one of these vehicles simply leaves behind his
daily wage. This could also be the reason why many workers with low salaries
prefer to stop working. Yet the mixed (Cuban and foreign) capital businesses
have their own transportation for their workers. Currently, those workers in the
dollar economy or in important institutions can benefit from a transportation
service meant for them. A company called Transmetro operates imported buses
which it rents to companies and institutions. In the meantime, most people,
working or not, have to struggle to get on a bus. In spite of what the see or
hear on the National TV newscast.
Versión original
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