Cuba's transport system collapses as US fuel embargo cuts services dramatically

Cuba's transport sector is experiencing an unprecedented downturn following a de facto U.S. ban on fuel imports that began in late January. Minister Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, a former mechanical engineer, reported that passenger trips on public transport are projected to be 75% lower than the previous year, with daily bus services from Havana to the provinces falling from 419 to just 11. Island-wide bus routes have been cut from more than 100 to 21, and inter-urban travel is down about 90%.

Domestic freight is expected to decline to around 20 million tonnes, compared with 70 million tonnes last year. While electric cars, bikes and tricycles have doubled to 150,000 units, their high purchase price and insufficient charging stations limit their usefulness. The government has bought 60 solar charging stations, but many electric tricycles remain idle due to power shortages. The United States maintains the blockade to pressure the Cuban government, a move condemned by Cuba and the United Nations as illegal and a human-rights violation.