The population's payment possibilities, the requirements to ensure the profitability of companies, and the capacity of the State budget to assimilate and handle services that have a high social cost were taken into account for setting transport prices.
In dialogue with el Portal del Ciudadano Avileño, Manuel Marín Torres, provincial director of Transportation in Ciego de Ávila, specified that “there is an intervention of the State budget in the form of a subsidy practically in all services, taking into account that costs increase 9.85 times and tariffs, on average, only grow by 6.7 ”.
The definition of prices is in line with the new costs that are implemented in all sectors as part of the Ordering Task and the update of old tariffs that were adopted in a different economic scenario. Not in all cases, the charges change or grow in the same way.
Consistency in the process was ensured by setting tariffs in line with comfort, quality of service and traveled distance . In the particular case of self-employed workers, prices were regulated according to the cost of fuel, in accordance with the provisions of the policy approved during 2020.
“These increases could not be directly transferred to prices and this implies two fundamental questions. First of all, we must work to achieve greater efficiency in our companies. Costs cannot remain the same, nor can inefficiency be transferred to tariffs.
“It must be clarified that the price is subsidized in public transport. When a Cuban peso is paid, the State pays 80 cents to complete the income of the companies. Due to the current economic situation, the transport entities have favorable costs of the increase in price. The Ministry of Transportation decoupled the increase in costs from the tariffs and passenger-kilometer rates were set for each type of service, which were applied to the entire country, ”explained the Ciego de Ávila's executive.
Students of all classes will pay 50% of the price and the agents of the National Revolutionary Police, the soldiers of the Active Military Service and the minor children carried in their arms are exempted from the payment on working days and hours. In the case of students and military staff, it only proceeds when they wear their uniforms.
Based on the growth in fuel costs (up to 22 times) and certain fixed costs, prices also rise in the non-state sector (the average is between 1.5 and three times), less than the state sector.
National bus and train services grow about 1.5 times. In the case of interprovincial buses, the ticket price currently includes 20 kg of luggage and, based on this weight, each kilogram has a previously set price, which is maintained.
The prices of air transportation increase up to five times (from 0.2562 CUP to 1.2808 CUP, in the order of the passenger-kilometer ratio).
The marketing cycle is extended up to 30 days in response to a complaint from the population. "For the moment, it is limited so far this month in the railway service. In other words, it is now sold until January 31, because some adjustments are being planned in the itineraries, but if they are maintained, it will also be carried out in that period.
In the case of taxis, the amount is increased four or six times. Piquera Hospital: from 0.27 to 5.00 CUP (1.25 for cars) and Free Service from 0.50 to 8.00 CUP (2.00 for cars). A price has been put on the kilometer of the taxi. When Cubataxi car drivers are offering their services to several passengers in hospitals' routes, as a rule, the clients share the cost of the ride. But if there is a single passenger, the price is really high taking into account today's standards.
For the buses of the Transmetro Company, it was foreseen that, the entity would assume a part of the costs in the case of long sections in order to avoid excessive tariffs. “Based on the controversy generated, this issue is subject to review. At the moment, the return services by terminals will be charged at a rate of 0.2000 passengers per kilometer, similar to that one applied today by the public bus service, ”the source itself emphasized.
The technical revision of vehicles, popularly known in Cuba as somatón, increases its prices up to six times, from 31.00 to 200.00 CUP for light vehicles and, from 44.00 to 300.00 in the case of heavy means of transport. Meanwhile, the tariffs at the toll stations rise from 2.00 to 20.00 CUP (light cars), and from 4.00 to 400.00 CUP (heavy vehicles).
The schools of Road Safety and Driving also increase their amounts between four and six times. The course fees for driving license exams rise from 45.00 to 270.00 CUP, in the case of Theoretical Preparation; and from 4.00 or 8.00 to 148.00 CUP, the Practical Preparation for Automobile (category B).
Approved by the Provincial Government Council in its Agreement No. 171/2021, the new transport tariffs have undergone various transformations as a result of analyzes in which even academics from the Máximo Gómez Báez University, from the territory, have been part in order to evaluate readjustments based on the main concerns and dissatisfactions of the population. This is a flexible process that could undergo other variations as circumstances require.