Public transportation in Cuba to be reorganized to face diesel shortages

Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, Minister of Transport, announced that public passenger transport will be reorganized throughout the country in order to palliate the short-term lack of diesel Cuba is facing these days due to the US blockade.

Among the priorities in that Ministry are the use of rail transportation, given its high energy efficiency, and ensure the distribution of fuel, food and other inputs, to reduce to a minimum the affectation to the people.

In the midst of the complex situation in which it will not be possible to maintain the usual level of activity, it was oriented to ensure port and airport operations, the distribution of products from the standard family basket, support health care services such as hemodialysis and maintain communications with the Special Municipality of the Isle of Youth.

He said it will also be necessary to readjust the departures of the national trains, not cancel them, because due to the lack of diesel fuel will be necessary to extend them in time even if people cannot travel on the scheduled day, in such cases those who wish can receive a reimbursement or postpone the reservation.

Maintaining only one daily trip by bus between Havana and the rest of the provincial capitals is another of the measures adopted by the Ministry of Transport in a circumstantial way, stressed the Minister, and before the cancellations of trips will respect the right of passengers affected to reimburse them, or book for another time.

Rodriguez Davila said in the Special Roundtable that the public service schemes of urban buses will be redesigned, for the sake of better performance in peak times.

We are going to implement a system of inspectors and cadres that will be at the points of greatest concentration of passengers ensuring that drivers of state vehicles pick up people at stops, and in the case of trucks and other means of cargo that do not circulate empty in cities and towns, said the Minister.

In addition to intensifying these controls, for the sake of more efficient use of the means of transportation of the State, the minister said that they will work with private carriers to help alleviate this critical situation, along with cooperatives in the sector, of taxis.

An issue of great importance at times like this, timely and systematic information to the population, is also among the priorities of the Ministry, he said. (ACN)