Cuba ends ban on new private taxis; cabbies can set their own fares

[Bulldog]

HAVANA, Cuba - Cuban officials say they are ending a nearly decade-long ban on new licences for private taxis - and they will even let cabbies set their own fares.

The rules published in the official gazette also will allow private jitneys in rural areas, though they will be under greater restrictions than city taxis.

Many car-owning Cubans already offer pirate taxi services, but run the risk of having their cars confiscated if they are caught.
 

The new rules appear to add a dose of the free market to help the communist system's struggling transportation system.

Officials in earlier years cracked down on private taxis, accusing them of fomenting a black market in fuel.

http://travel.canoe.ca/Travel/News/2009/01/12/7997611-ap.html

[flopnfly]

I sense big changes are happening in Cuba.

[Windsortraveler]

things are happening very slowly by our standards, quickly by Cuban standards.