Havana receives 20 refurbished Yutong buses for its transit network

Twenty Yutong buses refurbished in Cuba were delivered to Havana's public transportation system during a ceremony at Caisa, a plant in Guanajay, Artemisa. The buses were restored with parts and components donated by China and will be assigned primarily to the Santiago de las Vegas terminal. The additions are intended to restore passenger routes in the capital, although officials are still considering how to keep them operating.

Henry Rodriguez Terrero, director of Havana's Transportation Company, said that terminal will receive most of the delivered vehicles. The company hopes to restore passenger routes from there, but he said it is still examining ways to stabilize service given current constraints. Rodriguez Terrero also gave a favorable assessment of the buses' technical condition after the repairs.

The program covers 100 vehicles belonging to Havana's Provincial Transportation Company that were taken out of service because of breakdowns and deterioration. The planned distribution consists of 60 rigid buses and 40 articulated buses; those delivered now are part of the first group and are Yutong ZK6118 models. The articulated vehicles are also included in the refurbishment program, but none were part of this delivery.

Work began in 2024 at Caisa, where the vehicles were dismantled and underwent mechanical, bodywork and painting repairs. Components sent from China began arriving in 2025 and included engines, tires, batteries, and parts for the electrical and suspension systems. The donation also included tools and maintenance equipment to support the repair work.

The original deadlines were not met. Caisa executives had planned to repair five buses a month and deliver between 40 and 50 in 2025. A later goal called for completing eight vehicles in January, but that target was also missed. Power outages had already been hindering the repairs since November 2025. By February 2026, Caisa had 60 vehicles at different stages of restoration, and only eight had reached an advanced stage.

The initiative had been presented as a way to restore high-demand routes, including those connecting hospitals, schools and communities. Iosvany Frias Alvarez, Caisa's general director, estimated that repairing the vehicles would avoid the purchase of new buses and save more than $2.5 million. Hua Xin, China's ambassador to Cuba, and Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, Cuba's transportation minister, took part in the delivery ceremony.