New Measures Approved to Regulate Transport between Western Provinces

Havana: Taking into account the epidemiological situation of these territories, the temporary work group for the prevention and control of the new coronavirus approved this Thursday a set of transport regulation measures between the five western Cuban provinces: Havana, Artemisa, Pinar del Río, Mayabeque and Matanzas, Cubadebate publishes.

Above all, they are aimed at reducing mobility between these territories, as well as between them and the rest of the country. Emphasis is placed on the need to reinforce the control in the fulfillment of the hygienic-sanitary actions in the different vehicles, where the obligatory use of the sanitary mask, the active research at the entry and exit of all territories, the limitation in the occupation of the media capacity and the disinfection of the equipment and facilities associated with the sector are included.

The following is a detailed explanation of the measures that will take effect from 00:00 on Saturday, August 8, 2020, offered by the Ministry of Transportation.

General measures

General measures

1. Reduce mobility to the minimum necessary between the aforementioned provinces, as well as between these and the rest of the country. Make a call to the entire population, as well as to state entities, to postpone trips that are not essential.
2. Establish combined control points of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR), Health and Transport in all the accesses of these provinces, during the 24 hours with the aim of reinforcing the investigation and controlling the mobility of entry and exit of means of transport.
3. Reinforce the control of compliance with hygienic sanitary measures including the mandatory use of the mask face in all means of transport, active investigation at the entrance and exit of all territories, limitations in the occupation of the capacity of the means, as well as the disinfection of transport equipment and facilities.
4. Increase organizational measures in these territories, including restrictions on service hours and others, to avoid crowds in areas of beaches, terminals and other places with a massive influx of public.

Limited transportation

1. Limit the routes of the local passenger transport services of these 5 provinces that exceed the limits of their respective territories both by motor vehicle and rail, state and private, according to coordination established between the Provincial Defense Councils.
2. Suspend interprovincial passenger services between these provinces, as well as these with the rest of the country (national buses, railways, taxis, and private carriers). This includes state and non-state services. Matanzas and Mayabeque are excluded, which will maintain services with the rest of the Country, as agreed by their respective Provincial Defense Councils. Provide the 100% refund of all passengers with purchased tickets that will not be able to travel.
3. Reduce to a minimum the mobility between these provinces in state media of all kinds, leaving this possibility only for cases that are later exonerated and for other exceptional ones, previously authorized and coordinated by the Provincial Defense Councils. The authorizations will be permanent or temporary and the procedure will be agreed between the Defense Councils.
4. Stop interprovincial passenger boarding points on roads and highways in these provinces, except Matanzas at the request of its Defense Council, in the case of departures to the provinces of the rest of the country.
5. Prohibit transfers in collective means of transport (buses, trucks, and others), state and private, between these provinces, except those that move with the corresponding authorization from the Origin Defense Council in coordination with the destination. Transfers by collective means of passengers to beaches and recreation centers in another province are prohibited.

Transportation that is maintained

1. Maintain collective interprovincial passenger transportation in the interest of national tourism, specifically of passengers with reservations for hotels, campsites and other tourist facilities, regardless of the means in which they travel.
2. Maintain transportation in private vehicles of less than 8 passengers for personal reasons, with a call to the population to refrain from traveling. The Defense Councils will implement the epidemiological surveillance measures of the passengers who arrive in their territories by this route.
3. Maintain without limitations the movements of vehicles with license plates with the letters K, T, F, M, as well as diplomats and fraternal and religious institutions.
4. Maintain all transportation carried out related with public health as part of the confrontation with COVID-19.
5. Maintain a minimum service of interprovincial transportation of exceptional cases by national buses between these provinces that are approved by the Defense Councils, reinforcing the search measures of the passengers on departure and arrival.
6. Maintain the transportation of loads between the provinces complying with what has already been approved not to transport passengers and with strict compliance with the established documentation without the need for additional documents and authorizations, these vehicles may not transport passengers except the double crew when appropriate and in cases that travel with longshoremen, limiting their number to a maximum of five.

Other measures

1. Deploy a broad information campaign in each territory, by all means, to inform about the new measures. Enable telephone numbers to assist people who need help.
2. Maintain the current regulation of services between the MEIJ and the rest of the country.
3. Although urban, inter-municipal and rural transportation is maintained, the 50% of occupancy of standing passengers in the middle part of the transport is applied in Artemisa and Mayabeque. In the case of Havana, decrease the number of passengers standing on the buses in the articulated and rigid buses below the 50% currently approved, insisting on the call to people to refrain from boarding buses whose capacity is complete and reinforcing the control. Likewise, limit the hours of public transport, until 11:00 at night and on the beaches until 6:00 past the meridian.
4. Increase surveillance in terminals, stations and other mass passenger arrival points in all the provinces of the country.
5. Intensify actions to combat illegal passenger transportation.