A driver and conductor were fired for allowing a passenger to carry bags of grass on a bus in Havana.

The Provincial Transport Company of Havana issued an official statement regarding an unusual incident that occurred on September 6, when a citizen got on a P1 bus with a cart loaded with 11 sacks of leaves, right at the stop on the corner of 31 and 10 streets in Miramar, Playa municipality.

The event went viral on social media. It generated outrage and discomfort among users of the metropolitan buses, who see this incident as a reflection of the deterioration of the transportation system in Cuba.

In the images shared on social media, the citizen is seen boarding the bus through the rear door with the permission of the driver and the fare collector, who, according to the company's statement, allowed this "serious indiscipline," violating the entity's regulations.

The management of UEB Terminal de Ómnibus Alberro decided to dismiss the ticket collector, who was hired for a fixed term, and to permanently remove the driver of the articulated bus from the company.

The state-owned company emphasizes in its statement that this type of violation will always be sanctioned, and they conclude the text by thanking the public for the report.

Transportation in crisis in Cuba

Although the company has taken disciplinary measures, this episode reflects a much deeper situation that affects public transportation in the Cuban capital.

The images of a citizen carrying bags of agave leaves on a bus not only highlight the lack of discipline among some workers but also reflect the desperation felt in Cuba due to the scarcity of transportation and the collapse of basic services.

The chronic lack of fuel, the buses in poor condition, and the long waits to board any means of transportation are part of the daily life of the people in Havana and Cubans in general.

These types of incidents, although surprising, are not so rare in a country where citizens must resort to any available method to survive, including transporting goods on public buses, which under normal conditions should be intended solely for the transport of people.

The difficulties in accessing public transportation in Cuba are a reflection of the widespread economic crisis the country is experiencing, where the lack of resources and poor state management increasingly complicate everyday life.

The statement from the Provincial Transport Company, while condemning the behavior of the driver and the collector, does not address the true causes behind the disorganization and precariousness in the public transport system.