On Sunday, 20 electric tricycles began providing service in Guantánamo, notable for allowing customers to pay digitally. This marks the first time in the country that public transportation users can pay via electronic transfer.
According to a Facebook post by Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, the Minister of Transport, each vehicle is equipped with QR codes for electronic payments, although cash payments are still an option. The fare for each trip is 10 CUP.
The tricycles will operate on three routes within the capital city, prioritizing hospital access. The routes are as follows:
1. Starting at Pedro A. Pérez and Pintó, joining Calixto García to Paseo, 4 West to the General Teaching Hospital. Ten vehicles are available for this 3.5 km route.
2. Starting from Almacén 621 in San Justo, joining Prado Street to Moncada, then Paseo Street to Pedro A. Pérez, 9 North to the General Teaching Hospital. Five vehicles are available for this 4.2 km route.
3. Starting from the Pediatric Hospital, joining 8 West, West Circumferential to the General Teaching Hospital. Five vehicles are available.
Additionally, ten electric tricycles have been added to the state vehicle fleet in Santiago de Cuba, with another ten expected to join in August. These initial ten are already operating on a single route: Barca de Oro - Los Micros - Avenida Patria - Avenida Jesús Menéndez (Alameda) to Trocha - Carretera del Morro intersection. An estimated 5,000 daily passengers are expected to benefit, all within the city center.
These tricycles have a capacity of six passengers and can complete their routes up to 16 times daily on a single battery charge. They are driven by professional drivers—preferably women—who rent the vehicles.
Havana, Matanzas, Pinar del Río, Holguín, and the special municipality Isla de la Juventud already have similar services. Rodríguez Dávila noted that these services have been well-received, "although they do not solve the transportation deficits," he admitted.
Citizens have raised concerns about vehicle maintenance, price control, and charging capabilities amid frequent power outages. The minister announced in April that around 200 tricycles are expected to be delivered throughout 2024, expanding the service to various provinces.
The tricycles are owned by Empresa Taxis-Cuba and are assembled in Cuba using components imported from China. Rodríguez Dávila has acknowledged several times that the country is experiencing "one of the worst periods in recent years" in terms of public transportation, with only half the vehicles available compared to five years ago.
Electric Tricycles and Digital Payments in Guantánamo: Key Questions Answered
As Guantánamo introduces electric tricycles with digital payment options, several questions arise regarding their operation, impact, and future. Here, we address some of the most pressing inquiries.
How do passengers pay for their trips on the electric tricycles?
Passengers can pay for their trips using QR codes for electronic payments or opt to pay in cash if they prefer.
What are the routes for the electric tricycles in Guantánamo?
The tricycles operate on three routes, primarily serving hospitals: from Pedro A. Pérez and Pintó to the General Teaching Hospital, from Almacén 621 to the General Teaching Hospital, and from the Pediatric Hospital to the General Teaching Hospital.
What concerns do citizens have about the new tricycles?
Citizens are concerned about the maintenance and care of the vehicles, price control, and how the tricycles will be charged amid frequent power outages.