The Minister of Transport admits the initiative will not initially cover all sector demand because part of its operation depends on fuel supplies.
14ymedio, Havana February 24, 2026 – Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, Cuba’s Minister of Transport, announced Monday the launch of a fleet of 25 combustion-engine buses and nine electric minibuses to guarantee mobility for health personnel in Havana. However, the official himself admitted that the initiative will not initially cover all sector demand and that part of its operation also depends on fuel supplies, which are currently almost nonexistent in the country.
In a message posted on social media, Rodríguez Dávila reported that the new transportation service will be managed by Transmed, a newly created state company aimed at “prioritizing the health sector” in the capital amid “a scenario of serious limitations in public transportation in general, worsened by the lack of fuel.”
The new state-run enterprise, created by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Transport in coordination with Havana authorities, will operate pre-established routes connecting hospitals in the capital. It will also handle certain transfers of “patients undergoing special treatments and cargo services linked to the health sector.” The initial fleet will consist of buses with capacity for 28 passengers, in addition to minibuses with 13 seats.
Although the minister acknowledged the difficulty of ensuring the program operates at 100%, he said the vehicles will also offer service to the general public at a fare of 20 pesos.
The cars will also offer service to the general public at a fare of 20 pesos.
In the rest of the country, the initiative will simultaneously deliver 15 minibuses and 34 cargo vans to other provinces, all electric, to be operated by provincial transport companies under principles similar to those of Transmed.
To support this, Rodríguez Dávila said work is already advancing “at an accelerated pace” on installing charging stations for all these vehicles, equipped with photovoltaic solar panels and storage systems, “so that it does not place an additional burden on the national energy system.”
This new vehicle fleet for the health sector is in addition to the incorporation of 75 new ambulances nationwide, all electric, which arrived in Cuba between January and the first days of this month. Rodríguez Dávila explained that these vehicles have adequate range, energy efficiency, and maintenance support to ensure their operation.
The project, which exceeds $5 million in investment according to the minister, will be financed by the Public Transport Development Fund of the Ministry of Transport, while Havana’s health budget will cover payment for the service in national currency. The supplier will be MCV Comercial, the joint venture between the Cuban State and Mercedes-Benz, which has previously been involved in bringing other units to the country.
The supplier will be MCV Comercial, the joint venture between the Cuban State and Mercedes-Benz
The energy crisis, intensified by the loss of subsidized oil from its Venezuelan ally following the military operation to capture then-president Nicolás Maduro on January 3, has put essential services under severe strain. In addition to disruptions in ambulance services, hospitals have suffered blackouts and flights carrying medical supplies have been suspended.
As early as the beginning of January, weeks before the executive order allowing the United States to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, nearly all GAZelle minibuses operating in Havana were already out of service due to lack of fuel. On January 7, local authorities stated on Facebook that “only a small group” of GAZelles was operating and that “the few” in service “will not be able to complete all scheduled trips.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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