Havana, December 26 (RHC-Granma)-- Fifteen new short routes and three longer ones (La Habana-Maisí, and Santiago de Cuba to both Mayabeque and Artemisa) will soon be launched thanks to the acquisition of 100 vehicles for inter-provincial use, allowing the replaced buses to be used to expand local services.

This was reported at the recent meeting of the National Assembly of People’s Power Services Commission, where deputies discussed public transportation, of significant importance to the population.

According to Minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodríguez, 253 new buses and 103 used vehicles have been acquired.

Also being expanded, he reported, is the use of taxis ruteros or collective taxis.  In Havana, there are currently 287 cars and vans on five routes, with two being added in January, when the service will also become available in the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque.

According to Yzquierdo, priorities for 2018 include repairs to the national highway and continued work on the railway system, with nine new cars and locomotives from China to arrive in 2019.

As of the end of October, the number of passengers using public transport increased by 17.8% compared to the same period last year, the minister reported, noting that many challenges remain to meeting the needs of the population.