City bus fare hike is overdue, companies say; Noise ordinance revisions debated; Highwaymen target buses; Moors and Christians go to war in Gualaceo

Miércoles, 17/7/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Escenario listo para ‘batalla’ tradicional (Stage set for traditional ‘battle’) – On el 21/7 las 14:00, the “Batalla de Moros y Cristianos” will be recreated in the estadio in the El Bélen sector of Gualaceo Canton. Before the battle, the costumed participants will parade through the downtown streets. Mayor Marco Tapia said that promoting cultural traditions, such as this religious event, is a policy of the city administration. Aid agencies will be in charge of security for attendees. It is estimated that there will be hundreds of tourists from other parts of Azuay. <I hope the battle is not re-enacted with sharpened weapons. One of the guys in a crusader suit looks like he’s wielding a machete.>

The Moors and Christians are preparing for battle Sunday in the annual reenactment in Gualaceo.

De El Mercurio del martes, 16/7 (2 articles):

Parroquia Sidcay tendrá festival de la fritada (Sidcay Parish will have a fritada festival) – The 2nd Festival de la fritada will be this domingo in the Jesús del Gran Poder barrio in Sidcay Parish starting at 10:00 with some religious festivities. In addition to the more or less 2,000 plates of fritada for sale, there will be artistic presentations, dance groups and other surprises. <Or you could just hop on the #5 or #22 bus and find some fritada at the restaurants along Don Bosco. But beware – some of those fritadas are overcooked and hard on the teeth and those pots of fritada sit right l next to the cuyes.>

15 años de Teatro Tecla (15 years of Teatro Tecla) – Teatro Tecla is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a series of events. It will present the works, “Sombra-Terapia” and “La Tragedia” in the sala “Alfonso Carrasco” in the Casa de la Cultura (Luis Cordero 7-22, 2nd floor). The performances will be on the 15, 16, & 17/7 a las 20:00. Tickets available at the Casa de la Cultura box office. Cost: $8.00.

Titular –

“Nuestras vidas están en riesgo en las carreteras” (“Our lives are at risk on the roads.”) – An interprovincial bus driver with 10 years of experience said that criminals have closed the roads. Before, they only threatened, but now they shoot without pity. Hermel Jarro, president of the Unión de Transporte Interprovincial del Azuay (UTIPA), said that there are no guarantees of safety and there are criminal attacks twice a week. The union has asked for better control on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo, especially at km. 26, and now in La Troncal.

Besides the danger to drivers and passengers, there is an economic effect. The number of passengers during this vacation season has decreased by 50% in comparison with past years. People travelling now are doing it for business. Passengers travelling for vacation are not doing so out of fear, so tourism is being affected nationally. Jarro said that insecurity has caused the cancellation of night time trips. Transporters also implemented pat-downs of passengers who board buses, but criminals have changed their strategies to make their attacks on the roads. Two pick-ups will force the bus to the guardrails where passengers are robbed. In addition, technological security tools haven’t worked as expected. One driver said the panic button never works – he could push it 20,000 times but it’s useless. The security cameras installed in the buses, 3 by the Agencia Nacional de Tránsito, and 3 by the cooperatives, don’t get any response from ECU-911. Patricio Narváez of the Sindicato de Choferes Profesionales del Azuay, asked where the money collected from the increase in IVA is going? <To the IMF to make filthy rich banksters even richer?> He also lamented that the managers of the transport companies have been “vacunados” (vaccinated or subjected to extorsion) by organized crime.

Cuenca –

Que hacer durante asalto? (What to do during an assault?) – Pedro Mejía, a security expert, said that the best thing to do during an assault on a bus is to stay calm and controlled as much as possible. Often, people who attack buses are under the effect of drugs and their only purpose is robbery, so it’s dangerous to make them nervous or more violent. You should not struggle with the criminals since their modus operandi is almost always to attack with 3 or more gunmen which clearly puts the passengers at a disadvantage. <And if you carry when you travel, think about what might happen if you fired that gun in a crowded space at criminals who could careless about collateral damage.>

Preparan segundo debate de norma que regula ruido (Preparing for second debate of the noise regulation ordinance) – Carlos Orellana, director of the Comisión de Gestión Ambiental (GCA – Environmental Management Commission), stated that noise from car speakers, fireworks during religious festivals, music from gyms, and more have become a public health problem. The proposal for the Ordenanza que Regula el Ruido is being prepared for the 2nd debate in the Concejo Cantonal. Corrections have been made to the current legal framework such as the timing of sanctions.

De El Mercurio del martes, 16/7 (2 articles):

Retiro de cables obsoletos (Removal of obsolete cables) – In various sectors of Cuenca, technicians from ETAPA are removing dead or obsolete telephone cables from power polls as well as bundling those networks that are in use. El lunes, they were working in the Feria Libre zone.

Tarifas de bus están aún en análysis (Bus fares still under analysis) – Mayor Cristian Zamora announced that by the end of the year, the Cantonal Council will conclude the analysis of the results of studies about a possible increase in urban bus fares. In the next 3 weeks, the information in the studies by the U. of Cuenca will be reviewed. Social sectors have also been invited so they will have access to the documents being reviewed by the Council. Diego Idrovo, president of the Cámara de Transporte de Cuenca (CTC), said transportistas need a fare adjustment and hope that the new fare will be established in a technical manner and guarantee an economic equilibrium. He pointed out that there has not been a fare revision in 7 years even though it should be done every 2 years. He said the new fare should be defined according to operating costs, passenger demand, the perception by riders, and other factors.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne