Friday pm traffic in and out of Sosua

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Been a while since I have been in a two hours traffic jam coming into Sosua from P.P.
Ambulances going out. See lots of police on motos. You think it is at the very least a bus accident.
Cars and motos go nuts, passing on the left and right, some at high speed.
Finally we get there. Its one small truck with asphalt and three guys taking turns shoveling.
They were "patching the road".
That is great but not at 5 pm rush hour.
I love and appreciate fixing the roads. Do not stop.
One poor cop was overwhelmed with the drivers going everywhere. i felt sorry for him as he sprinted around trying to direct cars and the ditch would fill up with drivers on the right, away from the poor guy.
He clearly missed the how to direct traffic class in school. It was brutal being all by himself.
We were early victims. It got worse after us. Gridlock.
Sosua needs some sort of training in how to deal effectively with traffic. My little city has outgrown itself.
 

cavok

Silver
Jun 16, 2014
9,527
4,045
113
Cabarete
It seems any day of the week anymore, if you're coming into Sosua from the west after about 3 pm, the traffic gets backed up really bad at the light at Playero. Serveral light cycles to get through. It needs to be four-laned through Sosua, if possible. It's getting worse all the time.
 

Seamonkey

Bronze
Oct 6, 2009
1,896
755
113
The traffic in Sosua has gotten terrible in the past 4 years. The only day which is quiet is Sunday, otherwise it's heavy traffic all day long.
 

Abuela

Bronze
May 13, 2006
1,952
288
83
Here's my theory for the traffic uptick...ever since the highway widening project in POP to Navarete there has been an increase do to POP to Santiago travelers opting for the Moca Rd to Santiago in lieu of the dustbowl slow journey via Rt#5 west.
 

tee

Bronze
Sep 14, 2007
1,042
425
83
Cabarete
Traffic would be a lot easier if people could be educated on how to be patient and wait in one line as opposed to overtaking both on the inside and even the outside. I hate sitting in a queue coming into Sosua and all the taxis and guaguas all overtake on the inside thus creating another queue on the inside and they are all pushing to get back on the road. But we all know this is a lost cause trying to educate them. The same goes for the new stop light at La Pola...pull out there at your own risk as the amount of people that do not stop at that light is astonishing. I pull out of there every day and if I did a montage of my dash cam videos of the amount of close calls I have had there it would demonstrate how damn dangerous it is. That crossing needed a stop light, but it also needs drivers to respect to traffic laws. If traffic fines were increased dramatically then perhaps this would be a deterrent but then again you would probably see Amet (can't remember their new initials!) handing out fines like there is no tomorrow. Driving in the DR is the countries downfall, but there are so many good reasons as to why I live here and traffic is just one of the few complaints I have!
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
12,570
6,325
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It seems any day of the week anymore, if you're coming into Sosua from the west after about 3 pm, the traffic gets backed up really bad at the light at Playero. Serveral light cycles to get through. It needs to be four-laned through Sosua, if possible. It's getting worse all the time.

The A-Hole taxi drivers make it two lanes driving in the dirt coming into Sosua until they reach the ditch near Playero where they then force their way back into the line.
I wish I had an old beat up pickup with big bumper guards to crease some taxi's fenders.

And the Toyota Hiace Drivers should all be arrested for putting people's lives at risk - where do they find those inbreds ? They must put up employment ads like "Wanted Driver for a public Toyota Hiace with a brain smaller than an Orangutan, 3rd grade education maximum and must have previous arrests for beating your mother and public exposure".
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
12,570
6,325
113
Traffic would be a lot easier if people could be educated on how to be patient and wait in one line as opposed to overtaking both on the inside and even the outside. I hate sitting in a queue coming into Sosua and all the taxis and guaguas all overtake on the inside thus creating another queue on the inside and they are all pushing to get back on the road. But we all know this is a lost cause trying to educate them. The same goes for the new stop light at La Pola...pull out there at your own risk as the amount of people that do not stop at that light is astonishing. I pull out of there every day and if I did a montage of my dash cam videos of the amount of close calls I have had there it would demonstrate how damn dangerous it is. That crossing needed a stop light, but it also needs drivers to respect to traffic laws. If traffic fines were increased dramatically then perhaps this would be a deterrent but then again you would probably see Amet (can't remember their new initials!) handing out fines like there is no tomorrow. Driving in the DR is the countries downfall, but there are so many good reasons as to why I live here and traffic is just one of the few complaints I have!

You can't educate a walnut
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
Lots of problems with the Playero intersection. The timing for the light is static so it does not change to reflect the flow of traffic at different time of the day. Lots of people ignore the light anyway and of course the other issues people have already mentioned regarding patience, etiquette etc. .

Taxis and guaguas stop just past the light in front of Playero and in the other direction in front of Western Union, causing slow downs getting through the intersection. Hwy 5 remains the only way to get from from anywhere to anywhere so 100% of the traffic is funneled through that choke point.

Traffic light at Pola, what light? I hadn't been east of Sosua for quite a while and on the day that I did go that far, I blew through the new traffic light. I did not know it had been installed, it sits too high to be clearly visible to drivers, there are no sun protectors on the light so at specific times it is hard to see what light is illuminated. That intersection could have had better signage to announce the present of a new traffic control measure. Now that I know it is there, it's obvious, but for those who don't know and are keenly attuned to cross traffic from Pola, it's still easy to miss. The light is more noticeable when coming from the east into Sosua.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,479
731
113
I think it's down to economics. When I first arrived here, cars were really expensive, even the rusty old bangers.

Now we've had an influx of cheap Korean cars and there are finance companies willing to give loans on a silver Sonata for 50 pesos a month for the rest of yours and your children's lives, or an orange one for 45 pesos a month. So now your average uneducated Jose has sold his Moto and bought a car, but drives it like he used to drive his Moto.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
I think it's down to economics. When I first arrived here, cars were really expensive, even the rusty old bangers.

Now we've had an influx of cheap Korean cars and there are finance companies willing to give loans on a silver Sonata for 50 pesos a month for the rest of yours and your children's lives, or an orange one for 45 pesos a month. So now your average uneducated Jose has sold his Moto and bought a car, but drives it like he used to drive his Moto.
Traffic is the DR is a sign of increasing prosperity.
 

hammerdown

Bronze
Apr 29, 2005
1,466
107
63
I think it's down to economics. When I first arrived here, cars were really expensive, even the rusty old bangers.

Now we've had an influx of cheap Korean cars and there are finance companies willing to give loans on a silver Sonata for 50 pesos a month for the rest of yours and your children's lives, or an orange one for 45 pesos a month. So now your average uneducated Jose has sold his Moto and bought a car, but drives it like he used to drive his Moto.

I drive a ton in this country and lately, as someone pointed out, there have been a rash of real bad drivers, and all have one common denominator....That cheap orange or silver Hyundai or Kia......50k down and 47 pesos per month for the rest of your life, but looky looky I have a car and now the rules don't apply to me.....
My thoughts not yours......
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
The A-Hole taxi drivers make it two lanes driving in the dirt coming into Sosua until they reach the ditch near Playero where they then force their way back into the line.
I wish I had an old beat up pickup with big bumper guards to crease some taxi's fenders.

And the Toyota Hiace Drivers should all be arrested for putting people's lives at risk - where do they find those inbreds ? They must put up employment ads like "Wanted Driver for a public Toyota Hiace with a brain smaller than an Orangutan, 3rd grade education maximum and must have previous arrests for beating your mother and public exposure".

Thoughts such as these cross my mind every time I drive here.
 

cavok

Silver
Jun 16, 2014
9,527
4,045
113
Cabarete
Adding to the problem for east bound traffic is the light at the Texaco station just past Playero. It isn't clearly marked that when the light is red, east bound traffic can continue straight ahead in the right lane.

If someone is stopped there because they don't know better, or if they're turning left, it's difficult to pass on the right due to the HUGE pothole right there at the lignt on the right hand shoulder.

In fact, all of the "shoulders" through the center of Sosua are nothing but unpaved, rough, mudddy, potholes. Total disgrace.
 

Irie

New member
Aug 15, 2014
161
0
0
Being in the Playero area many times a day, I can add that traffic is almost always worse when AMET are out directing traffic. They add much more confusion to the already existing chaos.
 

josh2203

Bronze
Dec 5, 2013
1,570
525
113
Being in the Playero area many times a day, I can add that traffic is almost always worse when AMET are out directing traffic. They add much more confusion to the already existing chaos.

I used to have to drive in the capital daily, and can definitely second this. I have yet to see one occasion where AMET does anything at all to make the traffic flow better, they always make it worse, and being in charge of traffic being their only job, not sure what to think...

Just before Christmas, we had pass the rotonda (in front of Jumbo) in POP, and that was the only occasion I saw AMET stopping vehicles in the rotonda just before the traffic light. There was a traffic jam, but not because of the number of vehicles, but because the vehicle AMET had stopped was blocking traffic together witht their own motorcycles... They are equally useful as PN...


Thoughts such as these cross my mind every time I drive here.

Yes, same here...
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Amet seems to not have traffic directing school training. Lately its the marbete thing generating their attention.
They are writing more tickets. Got a ticket for a lo beam headlight out.
I know I am dreaming now BUT
If Amet had some good training on how to handle traffic it could end the problem. Ticketing everyone who gets out of lane, passes on right, drives down the wrong way. Plenty of AM at work. Now they make it worse by standing outside the station and looking at everyones marbete. Being scrutinized makes the traffic go slower. And they make no effort to help the traffic move, just watch it.

Who does not like prosperity if its a true sign?
The mayor, city hall?
Be wonderful for Amets overall popularity and it is do able.
Anyone friends with the mayor?
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,713
7,974
113
I'm sorry to say but its going to take more than a few traffic lights
to change the pervasive attitude of "me first" in this country. Be it
a negative one, its definitely a part of the Dominican culture.
 

ctrob

Silver
Nov 9, 2006
5,591
781
113
I'm sorry to say but its going to take more than a few traffic lights
to change the pervasive attitude of "me first" in this country. Be it
a negative one, its definitely a part of the Dominican culture.

I think it goes back to the teachers and their pay. And their training. If kids aren't taught to have manners, they grow up and pass on bad manners to their kids.

This is not to say that some Doms don't have good manners. They certainly do. Just not the ones that have received the minimum public education. And not the ones who are using that dirt by-pass lane coming into Sosua.