Editing Transport in Cuba (section)

== Automobiles ==
[[File:Havana Cuba 20170128 181706 Nevit.jpg|thumb|right|[[Geely CK]] (left) and [[Geely Emgrand|Emgrand EC7]] (right) taxis in Havana, January 2017]]
[[File:Cuban car.JPG|thumbnail|A Cuban [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]] car in 2011.]]
Since 2009, Cuba has imported sedans from Chinese automaker [[Geely]] to serve as police cars, taxis and rental vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://caristas.blogspot.com/2011/01/geely-prounced-jee-lee-or-in-cuba-heely.html|title=Geely. {{sic|nolink=y|reason=error in source|Prounced}} Jee-lee. Or in Cuba, Heely}}</ref> Previously, the Soviet Union supplied [[GAZ Volga|Volgas]], [[Moskvich]]s, and [[LADA|Ladas]], as well as heavy trucks like the [[ZiL|ZIL]] and the [[KrAZ]];<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://caristas.blogspot.com/2010/12/kraz-king-kong-of-trucks.html|title=KrAZ: The King Kong of trucks}}</ref> and Cuba also bought cars from European and Asian companies. In 2004, it was estimated that there were some 173,000 cars in Cuba.<ref>16. Marcus Enoch, et al. "The Effect of Economic Restrictions on Transport Practices in Cuba". ''Transport Policy'' 11 (2004): 70.</ref>

===Old American cars in Cuba===
{{further|Yank tank}}
Most new vehicles came to Cuba from the United States until the 1960 [[United States embargo against Cuba]] ended importation of both cars and their parts. As many as 60,000 American vehicles are in use,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schweid|first1=Richard|title=Che's Chevrolet, Fidel's Oldsmobile : on the road in Cuba|date=2004|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|location=Chapel Hill|isbn=978-0807828922|page=9|edition=[Online-Ausg.].|ref=schweid}}</ref> nearly all in private hands. Of Cuba's vintage American cars, many have been modified with newer engines, disc brakes and other parts, often scavenged from Soviet cars, and most bear the marks of decades of use.<ref>Schweid, Richard. ''Che's Chevrolet, Fidel's Oldsmobile (On the Road in Cuba)''. Chapel Hill, London. University of North Carolina Press, 2004. {{ISBN|0-8078-2892-0}}  p.196</ref> Pre-1960 vehicles remain the property of their original owners and descendants, and can be sold to other Cubans providing the proper ''traspaso'' certificate is in place.

However, the old American cars on the road today have "relatively high inefficiencies" due in large part to the lack of modern technology.<ref>12. James P. Warren, Marcus P. Enoch, "Mobility, energy, and emissions in Cuba and Florida". ''Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment'' 11 (2006): 35.</ref> This resulted in increased fuel consumption as well as adding to the economic plight of their owners. With these inefficiencies, noticeable drop in travel occurred from an "average of nearly 3000 km/year in the mid-1980s to less than 800 km/year in 2000–2001".<ref>13. Warren and Enoch, "Mobility, energy, and emissions in Cuba and Florida", 35.</ref> As the Cuban people try to save as much money as possible, when traveling is done, the cars are usually loaded past the maximum allowable weight and travel on the decaying roads, resulting in even more abuse to the already under-maintained vehicles.<ref>14. Warren and Enoch, "Mobility, energy, and emissions in Cuba and Florida", 35.</ref>

=== Hitchhiking and carpooling ===
[[File:Cuba, official hitchhiking and carpooling point.jpg|thumb|Official hitchhiking and carpooling point, Santiago de Cuba. The man in the yellow uniform stops a state-owned car to take passengers for a small fee]]
As a result of the "[[Special Period]]" in 1991 (a period of food and energy shortages caused by the loss of the Soviet Union as a trading partner), hitchhiking and carpooling became important parts of Cuba's transportation system and society in general.  In 1999, an article in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine claimed "In Cuba[...] hitchhiking is custom. Hitchhiking is essential. Hitchhiking is what makes Cuba move."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010126190900/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,36287,00.html#ixzz1Ch67vm4p Time (magazine)]</ref>

=== Changes in the 2000s ===
For many years, Cubans could only acquire new cars with special permission.

In 2011, the Cuban government legalized the purchase and sale of used post-1959 autos. In December 2013, Cubans were allowed to buy new cars from state-run dealerships - previously this had not been permitted.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-15115004|title = Cuba eases car sales after 50-year ban|work = BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-25450026|title = Cuba loosens restrictions on buying foreign-made cars|work = BBC News|date = 19 December 2013}}</ref>

In 2020, this was further extended with cars being sold in convertible currencies.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-cars/cash-starved-cuban-state-sells-used-cars-for-dollars-for-first-time-idUSKBN20J2E6|title=Cash-starved Cuban state sells used cars for dollars for first time|newspaper=Reuters|date=25 February 2020}}</ref>