The Va y Ven transportation system achieved an 80% public approval rating, according to the 2025 Mobility Study prepared by the Yucatán Transportation Agency (ATY). PAN (National Action Party) Representative Álvaro Cetina Puerto presented the data on the floor, accompanied by a replica bus, noting that 478,335 people use the system daily, a figure far exceeding the initial estimates that the current Morena (National Regeneration Movement) administration dismissed as part of a “cursed legacy” from former Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal.
The legislative debate became tense when Morena Representative Alejandro Cuevas Mena demanded the imprisonment of former Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera for alleged embezzlement of more than five million pesos from the semi-public company Servilimpia. Cuevas harshly criticized the previous administration, alleging that the acquisition of software for 220 million pesos resulted in the loss of 30 million cards and pointing to failures such as the collapse of a bus stop attributed to substandard materials.
The Morena party legislator also maintained that the transportation subsidy skyrocketed from 200 million to 1.3 billion pesos; which, according to his party, demonstrates irregular and excessive management of public funds. His stance drew a strong response from the PAN party deputies, who characterized the accusations as a political strategy and defended the progress of the Va y Ven system.
The official study presented to the plenary session reveals several structural problems with metropolitan transportation: 95% of the routes continue to radiate toward the Historic Center, causing constant congestion and limiting the efficiency of the service. Furthermore, total daily trips have decreased significantly, from 600,000 ten years ago to 354,000 currently.
Amid the exchange of accusations, both sides acknowledged that the system faces significant challenges, although they differed on the causes and those responsible. The session concluded with calls for a comprehensive review of urban mobility in Mérida and to ensure that public resources allocated to transportation are managed transparently and with a citizen-centered approach.
Source: naticaribe
