Cuba: This is how electric buses will be distributed by province for public transportation.

Cuba has begun distributing new electric buses in several provinces beyond Havana, as originally announced. In response to public opinion after the announcement of the arrival of 100 new electric minibuses to Havana, the Ministry of Transportation modified its distribution strategy, according to what it stated in Facebook, the Minister, Eduardo Rodríguez.

Although it had initially been proposed concentrate all vehicles in the capital, Public input led to a reevaluation that will also benefit other provinces in the country. Details will be provided immediately.

Of the 100 newly introduced electric minibuses, 50 will remain in Havana, a city that handles approximately 50% of the nation's urban traffic.

The remaining 50 vehicles will be distributed based on population density and the mobility needs of the regions. The provinces that will receive these new vehicles are: Casa Particular in Santiago de Cuba, with 20 minibuses, Holguin, with 10 units, Camaguey, with 10 units and Villa Clara y Ciego de Avila, with 5 minibuses each.

This allocation will allow for short, high-demand routes, especially those up to 10 kilometers long, for which these vehicles—with capacity for 14 passengers—are ideal.

Electric buses for several provinces in Cuba

According to officials, the decision not to distribute the vehicles across all provinces was based on technical criteria: a minimum of five minibuses are required to operate a route with an efficient level of service.

In future acquisitions, they said, they will consider expanding this service to other provinces, depending on the availability of resources and the condition of the vehicle fleet.

In parallel, the sending of 67 Gazelle brand minibuses, currently out of service, to provinces that could be relocated is being evaluated.cuperals.

According to Rodríguez, this practice "does not represent a discriminatory policy, but rather a strategy to leverage resources amid the economic constraints" the country faces.

In fact, several provinces have managed to reactivate vehicles worn out by use in Havana, adapting them to a less demanding operating regime.

This measure will be added to other ongoing initiatives, such as the expansion of electric tricycles to all provinces before the end of the year, as well as the acquisition of tires, batteries, and other resources for transportation companies in the territories.