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Venezuelan transport system strengthened with new Chinese taxis

Xinhua, September 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Over 2,000 Chinese-made Chery cars arrived in Venezuela on Thursday while a Chinese bus factory started initial operation to support Venezuela's efforts to upgrade its massive transport system through cooperation with China.

According to Venezuelan Ground Transport Minister Jose Luis Bernardo, 2,100 Chery cars have arrived in the northern port of Puerto Cabello under a bilateral agreement for China to provide 20,000 cars for Venezuelan taxi drivers.

The vehicles are from Shanghai and will be handed over in the next few weeks under the government plan called "Transportation Mission". The first 400 taxis were received last month.

Meanwhile, Haiman El Troudi, director of the "Transportation Mission", said a bus factory run by Chinese automaker Yutong in the state of Yaracuy started its initial operation on Thursday and its working staff have received training in China. The official inauguration will be held next month.

"Workers trained in China start trial operations at the Yutong bus plant," said El Troudi in his Twitter account, posting two pictures.

The factory will be able to assemble 3,500 units in three categories every year to meet the needs of not only Venezuela but also Yutong's other clients in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Its facilities include two administrative buildings, a parking lot and a test ramp for buses.

"The total investment in this plant along with our Yutong partners has been around 675 million dollars and it will generate 1,650 jobs for the area," said El Troudi.

Around 5,000 buses have been exported by Yutong to Venezuela over the past 36 months to serve in 80 urban routes and transport over 2 million people each day. Endi