Yesterday the director of the transport union Fenatrano, Juan Hubieres, called a halt to the drivers’ strike in Santo Domingo after reaching an understanding with Metropolitan Transit Authority (AMET) head Hamlet Hermann. Although in its initial stages Fenatrano had targeted the strike in SD’s zones east of the Ozama River, today it was slated to hit the critical North-South artery Avenida M?ximo G?mez. Hubieres said that he and Hermann had reached an understanding on several of the drivers’ demands regarding the issuance of identification tablets for public cabs ("publicos," known popularly as "conchos") and the ownership of vehicles that will operate the M?ximo G?mez corridor. Hubieres suggested that much of the union’s problems regarding ID tablets was not the fault of AMET per se, but rather the turf struggle between AMET and the Technical Office for Land Transport (OTTT) over who controls public transport in Santo Domingo. He said Fenatrano would refuse to recognize OTTT’s authority to issue ID tablets, and seek them instead from AMET. [Also yesterday another union group – the National Central of United Transporters (CNTU) – announced that it also would call upon its drivers to deal with AMET instead of OTTT regarding the identity tablets.] Hubieres also warned that if Hermann did not keep his promises, Fenatrano would quickly go back on strike, this time targeting critical arteries like Tiradentes and Winston Churchill avenues.
