The creator of the popular Facebook profile "Holguín en fotos" was fined 2,000 pesos for not having the rates clearly displayed in the electric tricycle he uses for transportation. However, the story took an unexpected turn: his 10-year-old son decided to make the missing sign by hand.
"Dad, I'm going to make the poster for you," Danielito, his son, said after hearing what had happened.
The driver had shared hours earlier the fine on Facebook with a selfie in which he is holding the ticket.
"We started the day with a fine but with the best attitude. First Ring → 50 CUP / Second Ring → 100 CUP / See you at the taxi stand," they wrote.
The post generated hundreds of comments and led the person from Holguín to later explain in a video what had happened.
He had the documents, but he was missing the sign
The sanction was not imposed by the Traffic Police, but by an official from the Department of Inspection and Supervision of the Municipal Government of Holguín (DIS).
According to the account, the inspectors arrived at the taxi stand located near the stadium, from where the tricycles transport passengers to different points in the city, and began to check the documentation.
"I have all the documents required for transportation, to do this job. I always like to be within the law," he explained.
Everything was in order except for one requirement: I didn't have a sign inside the vehicle informing passengers of the fare.
The man, who had been working as a transporter for just over a month, stated that he was unaware that it was still mandatory.
A colleague had explained to him that they initially required the sign, but supposedly it was no longer necessary after transitioning to the supply and demand system.
"And then I let my guard down. It's not an excuse, but I did let my guard down," he acknowledged.
The transporter made it clear that he did not question the fact that he had been fined.
"I do not disagree with the fine. I think the fine is fair because not knowing or being misinformed does not justify my lack of awareness," he stated.
The fine amounted to 2,000 pesos, but she was able to pay 1,000 CUP by taking advantage of a 50% discount for making the payment within the first five days, an option that, she said, was explained to her by the inspector herself.
"No one told me that."
His main concern was directed at the information received by those trying to meet all the requirements to work legally.
According to what he said, before he started transporting passengers, he had to go to at least six different institutions to obtain the necessary permits and documents.
"Nobody told me that," he lamented about the requirement to display the fees.
In Holguín, authorities began implementing a system of temporary special permits for electric tricycles in 2026, amid government efforts to regulate this transportation service.
The fine itself sparked another controversy among her followers. The receipt had crossings out and overwritten numbers in the section for the amount, leading several people to suggest that she should file a complaint.
The carrier went to the collection office, but they informed him that the amount was readable and that the document was valid. In the end, he decided to pay the 1,000 pesos and, as he summarized, "get it over with."
The episode takes place in a context of increased scrutiny of private workers. In April, a complaint circulated on social media showed inspectors acknowledging that they had to impose fines, even amidst questions regarding the incentive system applied to that activity.
The poster that they now have no intention of taking down
After all the bureaucracy, the explanations, and the fine, the solution came from the most unexpected place.
His son Danielito, just 10 years old, learned why his father had been sanctioned and decided to personally resolve the issue.
"Papa, I'm going to make the sign for you," she said.
The boy handmade the notice with the prices, and his father placed it inside the tricycle.
Now, beyond fulfilling the requirement that cost him the fine, the poster holds a completely different value for him.
"I have a deep affection for him/her," he/she confessed.
And he assured that he plans to keep it even if it someday stops being mandatory
"Tomorrow they might tell me that we no longer need to have that sign on the tricycle, and I will let it go."
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