Riots in Tegucigalpa
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Ironically, after a peace rally in San Pedro, there are riots in Tegucigalpa. Bus drivers are demanding an increase in fare, because of the rising price of fuel.
It seems Hondurans think the price of diesel is something the government can arbitrarily lower. But it was Mel Zelaya who misled the people during years ago his campaign saying that he would lower gasoline and diesel prices. Now he is facing the consequence. He can’t deliver, and never could, and always knew it, let’s hope.
Zelaya may have been hoping for Venezuela’s help. But, the truth is, Chavez is drunk with power and profits; who in their right mind would reduce the price of oil when oil is such an excellent source of power and wealth? Chavez is not interested in helping the poor of Honduras. Instead he is interested in buying support for hos “Bolivarian” revolution.
The poorest people might not be able to afford buses anymore and be forced to walk. The middle classes are afraid to use buses anyway, so it doesn’t hurt them. My advice would be for the city government to take control of city transport completely, replace the entire decrepit bus fleet, and hire the same bus drivers as state employees. In doing this, the city could use taxes to pay for most of the fare, and have users pay much less than the real cost of public transportation. This would force the bus drivers to drive safely, obey regulations, etc.
In Monterrey, for instance, a bus ride costs 6 to 8 pesos (12 to 16 Lempiras). The more expensive buses have air conditioning, and comfortable seats. There are minibuses which are less expensive, but cramped and airless. Those who can afford it take the more expensive buses. Still, all of them are safe. People openly wear their MP3 players, cellphones, and watches on the bus, which is very unwise in Tegucigalpa. A mugging is very rare here.
Image by Gerardo Diego Ontiveros, used with a Creative Commons license
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monterrey and tegucigalpa cannot be compared. how could we even consider giving more to a government fraught with corruption and inefficiency? perhaps someday in the future when the country grows out of the mindset that keeps it in misery but then again perhaps not because the honduras of my memories may never come back and turn into yet another haiti or philippines where two societies live in separate worlds.
Your idea makes so much more sense than the gas subsidy that the government currently provides. Who benefits from that? Certainly not the poor who can not afford cars. Even though I benefit, I think think it is ridiculous.
Mexico is, unfortunately just as corrupt, and maybe more corrupt than Honduras. That makes it more amazing to me to see a city of 5 million running smoothly, even though there are many poor.
Crime is mostly under control, except the narcos of course.
I disagree. The average pay in Honduras is about 2000-3000 Lempiras per month(about $100-160). How much would you pay the bus drivers? If it is the same as the average wage how much tax would be imposed on them? Most people do pay any taxes there and the little that the city does receive is pocketed by the government officials. How would this benefit honduras? First the entire system must change to effect any change.Second with change the massives would be able to support themselves without US or Chavez’s help,,but that’s asking for a lot of change. Third get the literacy rate up to help educate the people to begin to pull them out of their cycle of their helpless impovershment.
I agree that education is the only way out of poverty.
But the government needs people to go to work, otherwise, it can’t tax them! They’d be unable to steal the bus fare money, the system operates on a net loss already. If someone stole that money, the economy would collapse because workers couldn’t get to their jobs.
That’s why I think it makes more sense for the city (not nation) to own mass transport. They have a vested interest in it.