The service of the Gazzelle micros from Taxis Cuba was restored this Saturday in Havana, with vehicles operating on all 23 existing routes.
This popular service, known among users as “gacelas,” reported a noticeable reduction in its operations due to a lack of fuel, the company announced this Friday.
"Today (Saturday), operations have resumed normally," Taxis Cuba said on Facebook, although they noted that "only 50% of the fleet for each route is in service, as the other 50% of the drivers are scheduled to rest, as stipulated in the contract."
The brief statement reported that 135 vehicles were operating on the streets, but no further details were provided about the service interruption, only emphasizing that it was "due to instability in fuel supply."
In recent years, the crisis in Cuba, the worst in the last six decades, has significantly impacted transportation for people, particularly with the rise in prices.
The situation worsens with the recent instability in the fuel supply in the country.
This suspension of the "gacelas" service comes at a time when the government is attempting to regulate the prices that private transporters charge citizens, a measure they are promoting without taking into account the scarcity of resources, and following the initiation of fuel sales in dollars at many gas stations across the country.
Cuba's Minister of Transportation, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, warned that this service in Havana is experiencing irregularities due to a lack of fuel and emphasized the need for funding in convertible currency.
"It is essential to seek financing in convertible currencies to acquire more vehicles of this type (preferably electric), which will enhance the level of services on existing routes and evaluate others, even in provinces," said Rodríguez.
Recently, the Cuban government confirmed the arrival in the island's port of a Russian vessel carrying over 90,000 tons of oil.
"At the dock of the Supertankers base in Matanzas, a ship carrying more than 90,000 tons of Russian oil has already arrived," officials from that government entity stated.
The fuel arriving from Russia may provide a temporary relief to the difficult transportation situation in the country.
Filed under: