No-one can fail to notice Santo Domingo’s traffic troubles. Part of the problem is that there are only 500 AMET officers to control the comings and goings of as many as three million people. According to Hoy, Santo Domingo’s 19,000 intersections need many, many more traffic cops. In fact, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (AMET) only has 1600 officers throughout the country, and it needs 6,000 to do its work adequately. AMET spokesman Nelson Gonzalez told reporters that during peak morning hours the agency uses 250 officers in Santo Domingo and somewhat fewer in the afternoons. This is one of the reasons why there are fewer AMET officers on the streets between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. What’s more, explained Gonzalez, the organization cannot use all 500 of the officers assigned to Santo Domingo at one time because of in-service training, sick leave and vacations. AMET officers are there to facilitate the traffic flow and to catch and punish traffic lawbreakers. They work three shifts: six in the morning to two in the afternoon; two to ten at night and ten at night to six in the morning. According to the spokesperson, the biggest problem is not so much a shortage of officers, but driver education and ignorance of the traffic laws on the parts of both drivers and pedestrians. Among the programs being used by AMET are driver awareness campaigns aimed at improving driving skills and avoiding traffic problems. Another program is the ‘ten commandments’ for drivers and pedestrians on how to behave properly and in a courteous manner. Yet another program is focused on the correct use of signal lights and traffic lanes.