Nova Scotia Cuba Association

 Donation from China makes Havana’s rehabilitation of public transport possible.

Equipment donated will support the renovation of a hundred vehicles currently out of service in the Cuban capital.

Yesey Perez Lopez, internet@granma.cu

First of August 2025

In an official ceremony the government of the Popular Republic of China provided supplies. parts and equipment required for the rehabilitation of close to one hundred buses part of the public transport system of Havana. The ceremony took place in Caisa, Guanajay, at the Buses Factory “Evelio Prieto Guillama.”

Yunier de la Rosa Hernández, general director of Transport Havana, described the donation as “strategic and indispensable” as it would allow them to re-establish high demand routes once more that connect hospitals, schools and communities.

The director thanked China for  having destined needed resources to this Project through CIDCA (China’s International Development Cooperation Agency).

Hernandez pointed the importance of China’s collaboration in a challenging market with limited supply of parts and other limitation caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade of US government against Cuba.

 

Hua Xin, ambassador of China in Cuba, explained that his country is willing to continue providing its support and cooperation in the area of transport and is focus in implementing additional projects in benefit of the Cuban people. He thanked the ministers of Transportation, Foreign Commerce and Foreign Investment, as well as to Chinese and Cuban enterprises in charge of implementing the project(s) as it is thanks to their work that the provision of materials has been possible.

 

The equipment included will provide essential support for the renovation of close to 100 vehicles currently out of service in Havana. The donation includes engines, tires, batteries as well as replacement pieces, tools and maintenance equipment. The rehabilitation of the mentioned vehicles is taking place together with CAISA, the Cuban Provincial Company of Transportation and the General Direction of Transportation of Havana, with support and directives from the Ministry of Transportation and the provincial government of La Havana.  

 

Prior to the arrival of the mentioned donation, some sheet metal work and painting had been completed in the buses -60 of which are rigid and 40 articulated. Iosvany Frías Álvarez, director of CAISA, had explained to the press that the pieces and parts arriving will be distributed among different productive processes, mechanical, electrical and quality control. Once the structural stage is concluded, the work will move to reconditioning the interior of each unit «to ensure they recover capacity to return to functioning».   Frías Álvarez also added that the process will start with five buses per month and it projects to be able to return 40 to 50 units back to work before the end of this year.

Present during this official ceremony were Luis Roberto Rosés Hernández, first vice-minister  of Transportation, Deborah Rivas Saavedra, vice-minister of Foreign Commerce and Foreign Investment, as well as representatives of the government of Havana, of the Chinese company, Yutong, and members of the factory collective. 

Translation NSCUBA (Nova Scotia)