U.S. blockade is a “thorn in the flesh” of public transportation

PINAR DEL RÍO, Cuba, Oct 29 (ACN) Heroilde Guilarte Romero, a driver of one of the 56 routes of the Bus Passenger Enterprise of the province of Pinar del Río, has already lost count of the alternatives and resourceful solutions devised to keep such a vital public service running despite the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

Thanks to the knowledge and experience he has gained in almost 40 years with this enterprise, Guilarte is a member of the National Association for Innovation and Rationalization (ANIR), which strives every day to mitigate the impact of the said genocidal U.S. Cuba policy.

“I have recovered vehicles discarded for lack of parts or too much wear and tear,” stressed Guilarte Romero, whose contribution spans a great variety of salvaged items, ranging from engines to whole buses. “The blockade is real, as well as our main obstacle.”

According to Tania Caridad Márquez Alfonso, chief specialist in rational use of energy, only 40 of the 133 buses of their fleet are currently in service, mostly due to the lack of tires and batteries.

The most recent report “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” points out that as a result of the country’s inability to purchase spare parts—either because of cash-flow problems or the refusal of suppliers—the passenger transportation capacity and infrastructure have gradually deteriorated in the last three years.

In addition, measures adopted since 2019 by the U.S. government prevent Cuba from getting fuel, which has devastating effects on public transportation, a sector that every year needs more than USD 40 million for maintenance. Likewise, by banning cruise ships from entering Cuban ports, the U.S. also torpedoes one of the main sources of income to develop the country’s transport infrastructure.

A week without blockade would allow Cuba to purchase 206 buses, six trains, an airplane, and a ferryboat, the document adds.