HAVANA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Whether traveling from city to city, or from neighborhood to neighborhood, Cubans tend to take buses manufactured by Chinese company Yutong, which meet the needs of local people.
Since the first 12 Yutong buses arrived in Cuba from China in 2005, the number has grown to more than 7,000, turning Cuba into the company's biggest overseas market.
The figure does not include the 2,000 buses assembled on the island with parts provided by the company based in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan province.
Chinese buses now account for some 80 percent of Cuba's transportation, and have become a familiar sight on the nation's roadways.
As part of its commitment to the Cuban market, Yutong began to modify its vehicles to better satisfy local consumers.
"Today, we manufacture buses according to Cuba's needs," Yin Hao, the company's sales manager in Cuba, told Xinhua.
Yutong's 47-seat buses, for example, were adjusted to reduce three seats, but add more leg room and aisle space to make long trips more comfortable.
"Yutong's quality products and services have won the trust of Cubans and all levels of government," said Yin.
Yin's remarks were echoed by Guillermo Gonzalez, director of engineering at Cuba's Ministry of Transport, who said passengers are very satisfied with the service.
"Over the years, they have been devoted to Cubanizing their products, according to the island's conditions," said Gonzalez.
"Since we started working together many years ago, Yutong has provided us with buses that have been very well accepted by the passengers," said Luis Ladron de Guevara, director of passenger transport of the Ministry of Transport.
More than 20 models of Yutong buses are operating in Cuba, including 40 hybrids that have slashed each unit's fossil fuel use by more than 50 percent, a valuable feature in a country with limited resources to spend on costly oil imports.
In addition, an electric bus in operation here since 2017 has finished 60,000 km without power failure and with a failure rate 10 times lower than conventional diesel vehicles, leading to notable savings in maintenance and repair.
Yutong has won various awards at Cuban trade fairs for quality and design, but the company is not resting on its laurels, and continues to explore new ways to enhance cooperation with Cuba.
"Looking to the future, we will continue to provide our products and quality services, and also renew cooperation with the goal of improving transport in Cuba and the quality of lives of Cubans," said Yin.
