Venezuela to open Chinese Yutong bus factory in 2015

Venezuelan government officials and representatives of Chinese firm Yutong held a meeting Wednesday to discuss the creation of a joint venture to build and operate a bus factory.

According to Venezuelan Land Transportation Minister Haiman El Troudi, the factory will be built in the western state of Yaracuy and will have an assembly capacity of 3,500 buses a year.

The plant will produce three models of buses for urban, suburban and rural use, El Troudi announced via Twitter, attaching images of the 25- to 54-seat diesel and gas buses to be manufactured.

Minister of Industries Jose David Cabello, who also attended the meeting with Yutong, said the government hopes to expand the national public transportation system through the new plant.

"President Nicolas Maduro authorized the creation of this joint venture to build and operate the Yutong bus factory," said Cabello.

Thanks to Chinese cooperation, Venezuela will be able to boost public transportation around the nation, he added.

The announcement follows the recent arrival in Venezuela of more than 2,000 Yutong buses as part of a bilateral agreement signed last September when President Nicolas Maduro visited China.

The Land Transportation Ministry has launched more than a dozen urban and suburban bus systems to increase service in major Venezuelan cities.