70% of travel accidents in the DR are caused by motorcycle drivers, many who drive moto-conchos, the Dominican term for motorcycle taxis. Now the new authorities at the Oficina Técnica de Transporte Terrestre announce they are going to create facilities for this type of public transport, that is tolerated but on books is against the law. The new facilities now to be granted by priest-turned politician Antonio Reynoso of the OTTT will provide education to the motoconcho drivers, create stops for these, provide these with helmets, registritation and identification cards, as well as medical insurance. Preliminary data shows there are an estimated 100,000 motoconchos in the DR, of which 60% operate in the capital city of Santo Domingo. El Siglo "Aserrin" column author criticizes the decision to regularize the motoconcho service as it just worsens transport in the DR. The motoconchos are to blame for much of the chaos. Hamlet Hermann, former director of AMET, wrote against the measure in a contribution to Hoy newspaper. He said that the decision to legalize the motoconcho comes because there are those that will put politics before the common good. He said that OTTT director Reynoso seeks the favor of thousands of motoconcho drivers. "To promote the recognition of motoconchos is nothing else but to defend the chaos in the transport system nationwide," writes Hermann. He said that when he was at AMET he opposed any such move, as it is illegal. Instead of this move, he said the PRD government that is majority in the Senate should foster the passing of the bill that creates the Ministry of Transport to unify the different government transport institutions so that happenings such as what the OTTT is about to do with the motoconchos cannot be repeated. "If they do not understand it like this, worse for them, and worse for the Dominican people, that every day risks their lives mounting motoconchos to later pay in funeral bills what is saved in transport money."
