City provides transportation to bus passengers stranded by service disruptions

The Cuenca transportation authority EMOV transported hundreds of passengers stranded at some city bus stops Tuesday night. The service provided by EMOV agents followed the announcement by the Chamber of Transport, which represents bus owners, that it was discontinuing service on unprofitable routes.

Many Cuenca bus passengers were left stranded Tuesday night when bus owners began a partial service stoppage.

The Chamber said the partial service suspension would continue until the municipal council increases bus fare to at least 44 cents. The council and Mayor Cristian Zamora claim they are developing a subsidy plan for special groups of riders and will address the fare increase once that is completed.

On Tuesday morning, Zamora said bus owners who refuse service will be fined and, in some cases, their buses will be seized. “I have ordered EMOV agents to conduct patrols throughout the city to assure that all routes are serviced and we will begin legal action against operators of routes that are not,” he said.

The partial service suspension follows a Monday meeting between bus owners, Zamora and the municipal council, when owners expressed frustration at the delay in increasing fares. Chamber President Diego Idrovo claims the city has acted in “bad faith” in its negotiations with bus owners. “It has been more than seven years since the last fare adjustment and, since then, we have faced major increases in operational costs, including a 75% increase for fuel,” he said. “In the 2018, the city agreed to an annual review of expenses with bus owners but it has refused to conduct those reviews.”

Tuesday meeting, Zamora insisted that bus owners improve service as part of a new fare package. “Especially in rural areas, we have seen a decline in service in frequency and quality, and we continue to hear complaints about rude and unsafe driver conduct on all routes,” he said. “These things must be addressed during fare discussions.”

Some transportation experts believe “structural changes” must be addressed by both the city and bus owners. “Total ridership has dropped 25% since 2019 and by 35% since 2011, yet the system still operates the same number of buses, 475, and covers the same number of routes,” says Morris Alvarez, a University of Azuay public services professor. “The trend will continue but no one is talking about it or planning for it.”

According to Alvarez, motorcycles, bicycles, motorized scooters and the tranvia have reduced bus ridership. “The system that was designed in the 1990s is no longer viable and should change with the times.”