CUENCA DIGESTCuenca airport gets jetways, other equipment, from old Quito airport; study underway for future expansion

Cuenca’s Mariscal La Mar Airport has purchased equipment from Quito’s old airport, including three jet ways, and is planning several remodelling projects.

Airport director Juan Pablo Proaño said the jet ways, or jet bridges, will be installed by May, once work on the upper level of the airport is completed. Currently, air passengers walk on to the tarmac to board aircraft. Proaño says the jetways will make boarding more efficient and protect passengers for inclement weather.

In addition to the terminal remodelling work, the jet parking tarmack will be enlarged to accommodate four aircraft instead of the current three. In addition, new lights and signs will be added in the terminal and on the runway.

Proaño says that a study is underway to locate a site for new airport, further from the center of town. “Because we are located in the center of the city, we have no room to expand,” he said. “At some point, as we continue to grow, we will need another location. We have some space to expand now, but not much.”

New transfer station will mean fewer buses in El Centro

Cuenca’s office of municipal transit has anounced that the opening of the new bus transfer terminal on Av. Las Americas in April will mean a reduction of buses operating in Cuenca’s historic district.

Boris Palacios, director of municipal transist, said that the new terminal will alter the routes of 13 bus lines, as new trunk feeder lines will be created just outside the district. Bus lines that will be affected are 1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 27 and 28.

“The change will not affect the level of service, just reduce the number of buses,” according to Palacios. He explained that the plan is also part of the master plan to serve Cuenca's light rail system, scheduled to begin operating in Feb. 2015, and to accommodate the conversion of several historic distrct streets to pedestrian and bike malls.  

More than 73% of Azuay voters went to the polls last week

The National Electorial Council (CNE) announced that 76.66 percent of Azuay Province citizens who did not vote in the Feb. 17 election, up slightly from the last election in 2009.

According to CNE, 441,441 of 600,130 of Azuay's registered voters came to the polls. According to Teodoro Maldonado, director of CNE statistical services, the number equates to a 26.44% of rate of absenteeism, below the 30% rate in 2009.

By law, voting is mandatory for Ecuadorian citizens, except for the elderly and handicapped, and small fines are imposed on those who do not vote.