Havana Transport Fair 2022
Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Diaz
HAVANA TIMES – On October 4-6, the Transport and Logistics Fair 2022 was held at the Pabexpo fairgrounds in Havana. Sponsored by the Cuban Ministry of Transport, the event welcomed companies dedicated to the transportation of cargo and passengers, production and marketing of cars and auto parts, and logistics for electronic commerce, mostly from Cuba, the United States, Germany, Venezuela, China, Russia and Spain. For Cuba, both state and private companies and small and medium-sized companies that have emerged in recent times, with mixed participation, were present.
This trade fair takes place in times when transportation in the city is increasingly expensive and difficult due to material shortages, and the high price of car parts imposed by galloping inflation that apparently has no way to stop.
However, products were presented, such as electric motorcycles and small cars and pickups, also electric, which have an increasing presence on the city streets and in some ways are helping to alleviate the tense situation that exists today.
Many of these motorcycles and small cars are useful to private businesses such as restaurants, cafeterias, pizzerias, among others, as they are used in delivery functions. Nonetheless, their price is completely inaccessible for a Cuban who lives on a salary.
An electric motorcycle is costing in Cuba, between US $1,500 and 3,000. If the average salary in Cuba is around 4000 pesos, and the dollar is trading at almost 200 pesos, the salary is reduced to 20 USD, impossible to acquire a motorcycle for a worker or professional, only those who have done some type of business or have some generous relative abroad can acquire it. In the case of small pickups, they cost around $5,000. These are being used as taxis and in courier and delivery transportation tasks.
Luxury cars such as the Mercedes Benz were also exhibited. While they are impossible to acquire for virtually any Cuban, they are probably only within the reach of a very select group of high-performance athletes, who have won Olympic and world titles, or renowned and famous musicians.
