The new municipality of Puerto Plata declared war on garbage in that city. The proliferation of garbage dumps throughout the city, due to deficiencies in the municipality’s offering of the service, contributed negatively to the image of that city and environs, that otherwise is one of the loveliest in the country. Puerto Plata’s municipal hall ruled that individuals are now prohibited to the collect garbage. Only the municipality will be able to collect garbage from now on. The municipal hall prohibits that pick up trucks, horse-ridden carts and other vehicles be used to collect garbage because these have contributed to the planting of garbage dumps that have given the city an unsightly appearance and fostered multiple complains by tourists and tour operators. It has been easier for these private garbage carriers to dump the garbage anywhere, instead of at the municipal garbage dumps. In a clean up operation organized by Mayor Ramón Ortíz thousands of tons of garbage were removed from barrios, central streets and access roads to beaches. Mayor Ortíz promised that permanent efforts are being enacted to keep the city and environs clean from now on. "This is a serious effort that will be maintained throughout our city government and in no way can it be interpreted as "new broom sweeps well," he said. "We will always use this broom during the four years of our city government," he promised. The Municipality also said that the urban transport system would be organized, and permits required. The city government seeks to counteract the effect of the invasion of motorcycle taxis as a principal transport media in Puerto Plata.
