- Title: BOLIVIA: Transit strike over modernisation paralyses Bolivian capital
- Date: 20th January 2014
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JANUARY 20, 2014) (REUTERS) GENERAL OF DRIVERS FROM TRANSPORT UNION PROTESTING BANNER BEING BURNT BY DRIVERS MORE OF PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEADER OF "SIMON" TRANSPORTATION DRIVERS' UNION, JAIME CANO, SAYING: "This protest is against the mayor, who is involved in irresponsible projects which are damaging the economy of La Paz residents. The may
- Embargoed: 4th February 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bolivia, Plurinational State Of
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Economy,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVAC6C9WL4O6VX9EAJI58LGBQ6XZ
- Story Text: Transportation strike paralyses Bolivia's capital La Paz.
A transport workers strike caused chaos in the Bolivian cities of La Paz and El Alto on Monday (January 20) at the start of a week of protests against the local government's plans to regulate the transport system.
About 25 thousand demonstrators blocked the highway that connects La Paz to El Alto from the early hours of the morning. They were protesting plans by the local government to take more control of transport services. The local government says its involvement would reduce heave traffic in El Alto and La Paz.
Riot police arrives on the scene and fired tear gas and water cannon in a bid to disperse the protesters.
The Bolivian Deputy Interior Minister Jorge Perez was seen negotiating with protesters but said the road was going to be cleared.
"The police are doing their work. We are going to keep the road clear," Perez said.
The local government is implementing four modern transport systems in the metropolitan area of two million residents, which the drivers fear will affect their own services in the cities.
The strike is set to last several days, but protesters - who run a network of privately owned minibuses - say it could go on indefinitely if the local authorities do not back down on their implementation of the first great capacity bus system called Puma Katari.
An exclusive bus system with special routes is planned, along with an ambitious multimillion dollar cable car system that will link the two mountain cities of La Paz and El Alto.
The system will radically change the way Bolivians move around the metropolis.
Jaime Cano, the leader of "Simon" transportation drivers' union, said their business was being affected.
"This protest is against the mayor, who is involved in irresponsible projects which are damaging the economy of La Paz residents. The mayor is seen as a regulator, not an operator. He is getting involved with the private transport system and is taking work away from each driver."
Resident, Roberto Matinez, said he does not sympathise with the protesters.
"The strike is completely unfair, inadequate and one day the public transport system in the city of La Paz will have to change."
Another unidentified resident said the transportation workers had to modernise their buses.
"In order to avoid the transport workers, I walk everyday, but these drivers have to change their mentality. We can't live like this in the 21st century. These drivers have to modernise their vehicles and not have rubbish vehicles."
Transportation in the Andean metropolis, considered one of the highest cities in the world, has always been seriously impeded by its geography.
Densely populated neighbourhoods cover the hills and surround the city centre.
Serving the cities with a reliable transport system has proven to be a challenge.
"In the last 10 years the public transport system in La Paz has gone in the opposite direction to what is happening in the great cities of the world. Instead of providing larger capacity vehicles, that allow more movement efficiency, it has opted to minimise the service, reducing the capacity of the vehicles and increasing the number of vehicles generating social problems such as congestion and communication, due to the larger amount of vehicles operating with a lower amount of passengers," said La Paz Transport System Engineer, Mario Fuentes.
"La Paz residents have decided to change to a massive transport system, to a more efficient transport system that will integrate different areas of La Paz with an orderly public transport system. The municipal government has developed the project of an integrated transport system," added Fuentes.
Bus journeys that are only a few kilometres long can often take up to an hour during busy periods as heavy traffic clogs the city's steep and narrow streets.
Passengers have to change buses up to four times and pay four different tickets.
The cable car and bus system will aim to offer a faster service than more traditional modes of city transportation, say authorities. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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