Santa Cruz gets around as best it can in the absence of public transportation

Santa Cruz woke up to a marked absence of public transportation, forcing thousands of citizens to reorganize themselves from the early hours of the day to get to their jobs, schools, and other destinations. Faced with the lack of buses, many people chose to walk long distances, hitchhike, or group together with strangers to share taxis, minibuses, and private vehicles. In the third outer ring, there was a constant flow of taxis, minibuses, and private cars offering transportation to different parts of the city. The most common fare was Bs 5 per person, which led users to organize themselves into groups of four to cover trips from the third to the first ring, paying up to Bs 20 per trip. Similar scenes were repeated in other areas, with price inquiries, haggling, and crowded vehicles, as passengers sought the most affordable alternative to travel a few blocks. The public's annoyance was evident. A resident who was hitchhiking expressed his dissatisfaction: "We have grouped together to get from the Cambódromo to the third ring and pay five bolivianos per person, and then take another one to La Ramada. To those who are blocking the roads, I say: don't hurt the people, the most humble, those who live from day to day, who are the ones who are suffering," he said. The destinations in highest demand were Los Pozos and La Ramada, where fares of Bs 5 were also reported. In contrast, some minibuses and adapted trucks offered tickets starting at Bs 3 per person. Around noon, near the first ring road of La Ramada, small trucks with improvised signs announcing routes to Plan 3,000 arrived, carrying passengers seated in the back. One of these vehicles, known as El Chapulín, covered routes such as Mercado Nuevo, San Aurelio, and Pocitos. Its owner, Lorena Arana, said she works from six in the morning with two of her daughters in a truck adapted with benches and an awning to protect passengers from the sun and rain. "I'm working from Jardín del Sur to La Ramada, charging five bolivianos, and up to Plan 3,000 for Bs 2.50. I'm a recycler, and I've started this to help out and earn some extra money for my children's Christmas,“ she explained. Although she is not opposed to the fare adjustments, she questioned the way they are being implemented. ”Everything is going to go up. It was already expensive, and with the removal of the subsidy, prices are going through the roof. For those of us who live from day to day, this hits us hard," she said, noting that she transports up to 12 people per trip. At the same time, there were long waits at the bimodal terminal. Several families and passengers waited more than eight hours for interdepartmental buses to depart, in some cases due to a lack of available tickets. Faced with this scenario, some opted to travel between cities, making intermediate stops to reach their final destination. “I'm going to La Paz. I arrived at eight in the morning and my departure is at four in the afternoon. The ticket costs 500 bolivianos, which is over my budget,” said one traveler, who was also concerned about possible roadblocks along the way. Although the day passed without regular public transportation, traffic was heavy. The city experienced high congestion, with a strong presence of private cars, minibuses, small trucks, and motorcycles, showing that, despite the shortage of buses, traffic increased and urban travel became more complex for the population.