City residents will be able to cross the city in comfortable buses come Monday, 26 January. The new AMET bus lane opens on Monday, a national holiday commemorating the founder of the nation, Juan Pablo Duarte. Interestingly, the name of the principal highway on which the buses will travel, the 27 de Febrero Avenue, honors the independence from Haiti for which Duarte fought. For the opening day, users may travel for free. As of Tuesday, 26 January, the fare will be RD$3.00, about US$0.20 for the up to 22 kilometer ride. The route goes from Los Tres Ojos to the Cruce de Manoguayabo, passing along the Las Americas Highway and the 27 de Febrero Avenue. There are 98 stops on the way. Some 100 40-passenger new buses will begin operation on the route. The government is subsidizing the route with RD$1.50, as it was determined the cost of operation is RD$4.50 per passenger. Today, alternative travel, or the conchos cost about RD$2.00 for routes as short as two kilometers. Engineer Hamlet Hermann, director of the AMET, said, "You have to be crazy not to take a bus." Old buses on the routes at present charge RD$2.50, but because of the lack of change, the real fare is RD$3.00. The government plan is that market forces will force the conchos and old buses off the route onto feeder routes as the public will prefer the buses that are new, cheaper and more secure. Fares are to be paid after the person is on board.
