The provinces of Holguín and Las Tunas received this week four new buses from the Chinese brand Yutong each, to serve the route to Havana, vehicles that are part of a batch of 20 buses purchased by the Ministry of Transport funded by the Transportation Development Fund.
In Holguín, the delivery took place on Wednesday at the José María Pérez Capote terminal. Eliécer González Aguilar, director of the Base Business Unit (UEB) National Buses in that province, stated that the vehicles will operate the Holguín-Havana route with departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:00 PM, according to a report from the provincial station Radio Angulo.
Each bus has a capacity of 44 passengers, although only 42 seats will be available for sale; the remaining two are reserved for the drivers' rest during the journey.
In Las Tunas, the delivery took place on Friday with the presence of Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, the first secretary of the Communist Party, who handed over the keys to experienced drivers.
Yosvani Cedeño Tomas, director of the UEB Ómnibus Nacionales de Las Tunas, highlighted that the new vehicles are replacing units that have been in service for 10 years, as reported by the official news portal Tiempo 21.
"For now, the vehicles will operate the Las Tunas-La Habana route and vice versa, accommodating 42 passengers with plenty of comfort that includes mobile phone chargers at each seat, cameras, a television, and other amenities," Cedeño noted.
The executive also emphasized the efficiency of the new buses, as they consume half the fuel compared to those currently used for long-distance routes.
"This is complemented by low oil consumption and a guarantee of spare parts for at least five years," he added.
The addition of these eight vehicles comes amid the worst interprovincial transportation crisis that Cuba has faced in decades. By the end of 2025, only 219 out of 558 interprovincial buses were operational, just 39% of the total fleet.
Since June, the Ministry of Transport reduced the frequency of Ómnibus Nacionales to three departures per week between Havana and the provincial capitals.
Las Tunas was one of the provinces most affected, as since February it had only operated a nighttime service to the capital, following the suspension of almost all its routes due to a lack of fuel.
The Ministry of Transport itself admitted at the beginning of August that its ticket assignment system, in effect since June, has created conditions for corruption, and announced the return of in-person sales through the Viajero agencies.
The collapse of transportation has structural roots. The national production of buses plummeted by 97.5% in seven years, from 473 units manufactured in 2019 to only 12 projected for 2026, according to data from economist Pedro Monreal.
Since 2005, more than 9,000 Yutong buses have been operating in Cuba, making the island the company's leading international market.
The new batch of 20 buses, along with 200 electric vehicles for dialysis services, arrived at the Mariel Special Development Zone in mid-May, and these deliveries in the eastern part of the country provide a temporary relief, although it is insufficient compared to the scale of the accumulated deficit.
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