Bucaramanga Transit Secretary Jhair Andrés Manrique Bautista concludes term

Jhair Andrés Manrique Bautista is concluding his term as the Secretary of Transit in Bucaramanga, Colombia, as he prepares to run for the mayoralty of Floridablanca. During his two-year tenure, he oversaw a major traffic modernization project, which currently requires 115 billion pesos to complete its third phase.

Manrique reported significant environmental outcomes from a recent ‘Car and Motorcycle Free Day,’ noting a 29.1 percent reduction in air pollutants. During the seven-hour event, approximately 450,000 vehicles remained off the roads. Despite these environmental gains, Manrique highlighted operational challenges, including a shortage of transit agents and impound lots that are currently operating at 170 percent capacity. To address vehicle congestion, a scrappage process for 7,000 motorcycles has been initiated.