Increase in inspectors in Havana causes unrest among "boteros"

The recent deployment of inspectors and police in Havana has caused significant discontent among private taxi drivers, popularly known in Cuba as "boteros."

Authorities impose fines on those who do not comply with the rates established by the regime, but transporters argue that the prices set are "irrational" compared to the high costs of fuel and spare parts.

Since last Thursday, inspectors have intensified their presence in the capital, with fines ranging between 8,000 and 14,000 pesos, as reported to Martí Noticias.

In a report from the media outlet, Rafael Alba Macías, a taxi driver who works at the station in El Curita park, in Centro Habana, explained: "Today many said they were not going to work. The problem is that fuel is very expensive on the street, a liter of petrol costs up to 350 pesos and a liter of oil up to 3,000. You can't work because it's not profitable and the government doesn't see that."

The official fare established for the route between El Curita park and Boyeros is 150 pesos. However, the boat drivers charge for this trip in segments of 100 pesos each, due to high operating costs.

The increase in controls has led to overcrowding at the bus stops, as confirmed by several residents of the capital.

Enrique Díaz, an independent journalist in Marianao, said that "the government has no way to respond to the demand" for public transport.

The Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, recently acknowledged the collapse of the sector in recent months, stating that between January and June 2024, the use of public transport saw a decrease of nearly 50 million passengers compared to the same period in 2023.

This situation is not new; last year, a similar action against the private transportation sector resulted in the stoppage of dozens of taxis for weeks, creating chaos in the streets of the capital.

The recurrence of these conflicts underscores the persistent tensions between the state and private sectors in the field of transportation in Cuba, which is understood in almost all sectors amid severe crises on the island.