 Companies demand subsidy.

Transit bus drivers and company owners blocked Wednesday a busy avenue at the Civic Center in demand of a transportation subsidy.

The protest was held a day after a company representative regretted the rejection of the subsidy petition from the state.

Rafael Naranjo, who represents company owners in Mexicali’s Municipal Transit Council said Gov. Francisco Vega made public recently the state decision to deny the request.

The petition was originally made to the Mexican government in January.

The federal government rejected the request by saying states are the responsible parties in such issue.

The petition was then filed at the state level on March and denied four months later.

Company owners were informed of the denial through media reports.

The Mexican government told petitioners the state was entitled to a reimbursement of 852 million pesos or $50.1 million in taxes that could be used for the subsidy.

Naranjo said company owners might get their buses impounded by credit companies due to default payment of loans used to purchase the vehicles.

“We hope the Governor reconsiders and provide the subsidy like in Sonora Gov. Claudia Pavlovich did,” Naranjo said.

Transit company operators have been impacted by the increased fuel prices, he said.

— Arturo Bojorquez, abojorquez@ivpressonline.com