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Víctor Rolando Arroyo, UPECI
PINAR DEL RIO, March (Víctor Rolando Arroyo, UPECI / www.cubanet.org)
- Traveling in dilapidated buses which cockroaches have found make ideal
habitats is only one of the problems facing travelers in the Astro
inter-provincial bus lines.
The dirty, ill-lit buses irregularly ply the decaying main roads between
Havana and Pinar del Río, where accidents are reported with alarming
frequency.
Still, demand for the service outstrips departures, and an illegal
black-market in tickets has flourished. Typically, would-be travelers are told
at the ticket window the regular fare seven-peso tickets are sold out.
They are usually available from resellers at between 40 and 60 pesos.
Authorities don't even attempt to explain delays to customers. Or the filthy
station in Pinar del Río, or the loss of luggage. In general, officials
blame "scarcity of fuel" for any irregularity.
Travelers could opt to take the train, but service there is even worse.
What rankles travelers most, though, is comparing Astro buses to the modern,
even luxurious, buses the government provides for tourists.
"In Cuba, modern buses are assembled for the tourist trade, but
officials keep blaming the U. S. embargo for the horrible situation in
transportation. The problem is with the Ministry of Transportation, and Pinar
del Río is a clear example," said one resident.
Versión
original en español
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