It is estimated that around 5,000 passengers will be transported daily by the 20 new electric tricycles that have started operating in Santiago de Cuba, according to reports from official media.
The local channel Tele Turquino published a report on YouTube highlighting the initiative, stating that it is "aimed at improving transportation" in Santiago de Cuba, and announced that the cost of the service will be 10 pesos.
"The restructuring will benefit other routes as well as additional transportation services," the spokesperson for the government also emphasized.
A transportation sector executive stated that the first phase involves the introduction of 20 of these electric tricycles, which, he explained, have a range of over 200 kilometers.
However, the main characteristic of the Santiago territory is the presence of steep hills, which restricts the use of this mode of transportation to a few flatter areas, such as the Alameda region. For this reason, its use will not be widespread nor will it benefit the entire population.
Recently, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, the first secretary of the PCC in Santiago de Cuba, defended the tricycle service on Facebook, presenting it as a viable alternative in light of the transportation crisis: “This service enjoys significant popular acceptance in several provinces. We are already working on defining the routes here.”
This Sunday, 20 electric tricycles began service in Guantánamo, which have the unique feature that customers will be able to make payments digitally.
This is the first time in the country that users can pay for public transportation services using an electronic transfer.
As explained on Facebook by Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, the minister of the sector, QR codes have been enabled for electronic payment in each vehicle, although the option for cash payment will remain available for those who prefer it.
The tricycles operating in various provinces are owned by the Taxis-Cuba company and are assembled in the country from components imported from China.
Although the regime promotes this initiative as a palliative in response to the current transportation crisis, the reality is that the country is experiencing one of the worst periods in recent years regarding public transport, with barely half the vehicles in operation compared to five years ago.
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