Radio Cadena Agramonte
Monday, February 22, 2021
Thursday, January 5, 2012

Cuba: New National Bus Company to Test Management Model



Havana, Cuba, Jan 5.- Cuba replaced its Bus Transport Association (ASTRO), a company that provided inter-province services with the newly created National Bus Company, to increase efficiency and quality of transportation services for passengers with a more rational use of resources.


Its CEO, Roberto Ricardo Marrero said the new company will employ fewer staff and have minimal structures that will seek high rates of exploitation of vehicles, better customized services for the population and improved efficiency.

He said that the previous Cuban inter-province bus system was comprised of 22 minor companies, some of them to provide assistance to the larger ones; the number is now reduced by three scattered throughout the country, whose goal is to surpass ASTRO in terms of quality of service, organization, discipline and control of resources.

Passengers interviewed by ACN news agency said they have already noticed the changes in progress, as evidenced not only in automating reservations, but in the rejuvenation and comfort of the Central Station in Havana and other terminals in provincial capitals.

Marrero claimed the success of this new enterprise will rest on the shoulders of its workers of whom they will demand stricter discipline and better services.

He feels that the training of workers and having more demanding officers, will help reduce the number of complaints associated with the comfort of the buses, illicit cargoes on board, overcharging of tickets, unscheduled stops and mistreatment to clients.


He explained that the new structure enables them to give their fleet a better use, and eliminate excessive administrative divisions that hindered the work and caused economic losses.

Now the cars can move from one province to another with less disruption, without the intervention of territorial red-tape, that used to cause discomfort on the population, he said.

Among the challenges for Marrero are to increase the transport of passengers with the current fleet and the same routes, which require increasing the occupancy rate of seats.

The National Bus Company will work during 2012 to have its vehicle fleet fully equipped with GPS, a mechanism already implemented in 50 percent of the cars, which helps to control speeding, unnecessary stops and detours some drivers used to take.

All these measures, said Marrero, will reflect in a decrease in accident rates and the reduction of fuel waste. (ACN).