It was chaos when it started. Many traffic lights and even street ground arrows still hadn’t been changed. Only newspapers had given advance warning of the change of direction of about 20 streets in the new center of Santo Domingo, the Polígono Central. The changes primarily affect traffic in the Evaristo Morales, Quisqueya, Serrallés, Naco and Piantini neighborhoods. Residents in the area knew the changes were coming as it took weeks for the transport authorities to install all the one-way street signs. But when the 24 hour warning was finally given, it seemed to take drivers by surprise. In the early morning, José Chavez of the Municipality of Santo Domingo panicked and revoked the measure, saying the Sala Capitular of the Municipality hadn’t approved it. The director of AMET, engineer Onésimo González said that the Muncipality had the last word, but the police and AMET officers continued to enforce the changes. Santo Domingo Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) officers stopped drivers that were going in the wrong direction to explain the changes. No one was fined. By the afternoon, traffic was flowing nicely, the changes had worked. By the evening, the Municipality announced the measures would be effective today, Wednesday, 17 October.
