Union members of the Federación Nacional de Transporte La Nueva Opcion (Fenatrano) and the Central Nacional de Transportistas Unfiicados (CNTU) clashed with police units in charge of the new order on the 27 de Febrero Avenue expressway, an exclusive bus lane established by the government with new buses to service the public. The clashes were expected. The buses seek to maintain the right to transit on the route. The public overwhelmingly prefers the new buses, affecting the union’s stronghold over the route that had been serviced precariously for the past 20 years by a multiplicity of dilapidated buses, voladoras (minibuses) and conchos (multiple fare-paying passenger taxis). The Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares, Sindicales y Choferiles, a union of unions, announced that in protest it would paralyze its public transport vehicles from 6 am to 9:30 am today. The National Police said it will be pressing charges against union leaders Fernando Peña, Juan Hubieres, and 31 other chauffeurs arrested yesterday. National Police spokesman Simón Antonio Díaz said that they will be accused of obstaculizing transit and street scandals. Isidro Torres, spokesman for the Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares, Sindicales y Choferiles, told Hoy newspaper that "the government wants to exterminate them and take them out of the expressway." The old bus units are not permitted to transit on the exclusive bus lane. More realistic vehicle owners chose to reduce their fares to RD$2.00 in order to compete with the government buses that are charging RD$3.00. The new Metropolitan Authority of Transport said that the 27 de Febrero expressway buses are transporting around 100,000 passengers a day, and that the route has been a success. Public transport users have overwhelmingly preferred the new buses to other forms of transportion. Ramón Colombo, a morning radio show political analyst, said that the unions are fighting a losing battle as "99% of the population favors the new service."
