Cuba to Gradually Re-establish Public Transportation

Officials from the Ministry of Transport reported there will be a gradual improvement in October in the transportation of passengers between cities, both by rail and road, depending on the availability of fuel.

Eduardo Hernandez Becerra, director of the Cuban Railway Union, said that the national train service will maintain the schedule they had during the second half of September, with a departure from Havana to each destination, and using 14 coaches on each trip, instead of 11 as was common before.

He reported that services between Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba and Havana and Sancti Spíritus will resume every four days, starting October 7 and 8, respectively.

In the case of interterritorial trains, he pointed out that services between Camagüey and Bayamo, Pinar del Río and La Habana and Santiago de Cuba and Manzanillo are resumed every four days. In the meantime, between Santa Clara and Nuevitas, services will be provided on a daily basis.

Regarding transportation by bus, Oscar Carvajal, director of the Empresa de Ómnibus Nacionales, informed that it is planned to re-establish a good part of the services that this one offers, and that the service is restored, at least once a week to each city.

This translates in many more departures than they had in the second half of September. The new national program depends on the improvement of the diesel allocation and will come into effect from October 7, he stressed. Meanwhile, the maritime service will maintain a single daily exit between Gerona and Batabanó.

Agencies with transportation already checked and travelers with reservations for the days affected, will have priority from the modification of services and those who do not wish to travel will be reimbursed 100 percent of the value of the ticket until 15 days later.