Havana, Jun 24 (ACN) The Belgian government donated 29 buses to Havana which will be used to reinforce public transportation in the Cuban capital and to support cultural institutions.
Belgian ambassador to Havana Jean-Jacques Bastien stressed the tight relations between Cuba and Belgium and wished the donation from Brussels should contribute to cushion current transportation problems mainly caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the island nation.
The director of Transportation Planning at the Havana General Transport Office Lauger Medina said the buses could benefit some 32 thousand Havana citizens each day. The buses are second-hand so they will be submitted to technical tests before entering operations.
Maintenance will be coordinated with the office of Mercedes Benz in Cuba, said the official who added that the necessary fuel has been guaranteed for the new equipment.
Havana’s Provincial Transportation Enterprise, the main operator in the city capital, has only 50 percent transportation availability due to the lack of spare parts following lack of funds resulting from the impact of the US’s hostile Cuba policy.