DR ranks third in vehicle per capita in Latin America; Is there a solution to the traffic mess in Greater Santo Domingo?

[Dolores]

It is no secret that the traffic situation is Santo Domingo is horrible. The not published truth is that the present and past governments have been major contributors to the problem. The government commercial bank, the Banco de Reservas over the years has sponsored dozens of “car fairs” with the lowest market interest rates available for people to purchase cars. Other leading banks have followed. Car vending businesses are all over the cities.

The local economic bonanza plus the low bank rates for the purchase of cars has turned roads into a nightmare for those who need to commute.

A recent report in Diario Libre says the Dominican Republic is third in Latin America in the number of vehicles per inhabitant. There are 507.8 motorized vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants in the Dominican Republic. The per capita places the DR only behind Argentina (590 per 1,000) and...

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[CristoRey]

The government was instrumental in creating this problem, go figure.

 

[Jan]

At least once a week, usually more, there is a vehicle carrying ship unloading at Port San Souci. They need to stop bringing all these vehicles into the country.

 

[Billp16]

Yeah - ENFORCE the laws

 

[NanSanPedro]

Yeah - ENFORCE the laws

Yea, but who would do that? The same police who don't obey traffic laws or maybe the secret double probation police?

 

[chicagoan14]

One solution would be better city planning.

 

[JD Jones]

One solution would be better city planning.

50 years too late.

 

[irishpaddy]

3 hours this evening to get from Boca Chica to Mirador sur

 

[MariaRubia]

In London they charge the equivalent of RD$ 1,000 per day to drive in the center. All of that money has to be spend on public transport. When they introduced it, at a stroke they eliminated half the traffic. The only solution for Santo Domingo is to make driving way more expensive, and invest in far better public transport. To an extent they are doing that in the Colonial Zone, it's so difficult to park now that most people I know go by Uber. But it needs to go way further.

It's also about a cultural shift. I don't have a car in DR, I just use Uber and taxis, way cheaper and way less hassle. But none of my friends can believe I don't have a car, they think it's like a status symbol.

 

[DrNoob]

In London they charge the equivalent of RD$ 1,000 per day to drive in the center. All of that money has to be spend on public transport. When they introduced it, at a stroke they eliminated half the traffic. The only solution for Santo Domingo is to make driving way more expensive, and invest in far better public transport. To an extent they are doing that in the Colonial Zone, it's so difficult to park now that most people I know go by Uber. But it needs to go way further.

It's also about a cultural shift. I don't have a car in DR, I just use Uber and taxis, way cheaper and way less hassle. But none of my friends can believe I don't have a car, they think it's like a status symbol.

Thats only the congestion charge, then there is Low Emission Zone charge for heavy vehicles and another 1000 peso equivalent for ULEZ (Ultra-LEZ) for most vehicles which covers all of greater london but is only for older vehicles. This works because of strict enforcement, easy payments, clear boundaries and a crapton of cameras. Not sure the setup will survive in the DR for long even if the government tried.

I would love to see the average speed zone system implemented here, just to see how many people get caught or how many cameras survive

 

[MariaRubia]

Thats only the congestion charge, then there is Low Emission Zone charge for heavy vehicles and another 1000 peso equivalent for ULEZ (Ultra-LEZ) for most vehicles which covers all of greater london but is only for older vehicles. This works because of strict enforcement, easy payments, clear boundaries and a crapton of cameras. Not sure the setup will survive in the DR for long even if the government tried.

I would love to see the average speed zone system implemented here, just to see how many people get caught or how many cameras survive

A key difference with London is that everyone, even the super rich, get on public transport. The only exception would be someone who is famous and might be recognised. Everyone knows the quickest way to get around is on the tube or the train, and these days the Lime (Uber) electric bicycles are everywhere and being very well used, and again they are usually much faster than using a car. DR tends to follow the US model where only the poorest use public transport and everyone else travels in their own vehicle.

 

[DrNoob]

A key difference with London is that everyone, even the super rich, get on public transport. The only exception would be someone who is famous and might be recognised. Everyone knows the quickest way to get around is on the tube or the train, and these days the Lime (Uber) electric bicycles are everywhere and being very well used, and again they are usually much faster than using a car. DR tends to follow the US model where only the poorest use public transport and everyone else travels in their own vehicle.

I agree but some of the Tube lines at peak times can introduce one intimately to strangers 😥
I moved out of London during the pandemic and the public transport is nowhere near as good, the bus lines have been decimated. Thankfully, the trains are still ok though not as value for money as other European ones such as NS/DB/SNCF (when not striking)/SBB etc.

That said, DR's lack of public transportation (not speaking about the publicos, guaguas, Caribe Tours/Metro that folks can take) is possibly contributing the overuse of cars. I can understand that it is not easy to provide such a service in a country with such difficult terrain. I hope the future brings change for a better future.

 

[Liberator]

At least once a week, usually more, there is a vehicle carrying ship unloading at Port San Souci. They need to stop bringing all these vehicles into the country.

Free market. Supply versus demand. There will be a business model that makes it worthwhile to continue importing cars?

 

[Liberator]

One solution would be better city planning.

A mandatory car inspection (annual) for cars older than 5 years? The majority of 'cars' would not even be allowed on the road in many other countries.
The immediate problem: how are you going to register and enforce this..... DR is still many decades behind the rest of the world

 

[SKY]

A mandatory car inspection (annual) for cars older than 5 years? The majority of 'cars' would not even be allowed on the road in many other countries.
The immediate problem: how are you going to register and enforce this..... DR is still many decades behind the rest of the world

DR people are not sheep like in some Countries. They already burned down a Toll Booth on 1 some years back. And taking their means of living away by what you propose will NEVER happen here...........................

 

[MariaRubia]

DR people are not sheep like in some Countries. They already burned down a Toll Booth on 1 some years back. And taking their means of living away by what you propose will NEVER happen here...........................

It's more than a way of living. To many men their car is the second most important thing in their lives after their trouser-snake.

 

[Liberator]

DR people are not sheep like in some Countries. They already burned down a Toll Booth on 1 some years back. And taking their means of living away by what you propose will NEVER happen here...........................

Right....one of the many examples where this country and its people are lagging behind.

 

[SKY]

Right....one of the many examples where this country and its people are lagging behind.

Might just be the other way around................

 

[Liberator]

Might just be the other way around................

Might be.... most of them don't look further than a bottle of beer and a plato del dia... as long as you feel good, who cares
Cheers!

 

[drstock]

A mandatory car inspection (annual) for cars older than 5 years? The majority of 'cars' would not even be allowed on the road in many other countries.
The immediate problem: how are you going to register and enforce this..... DR is still many decades behind the rest of the world

Maybe it could be enforced if you couldn't get a Marbete without a current inspection certificate. The police are already dealing with people who don't have a current Marbete visible.

When they briefly did inspections and issued a sticker to show the car had passed, you could by the sticker in many places without having a test at all. Of course, there would always be the problem of an inspector being "bought".