One union, MOCHOTRAN, has requested the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (AMET) to permit all its members to work during peak traffic hours, from 6 until 9 in the morning, no matter what color the car’s roof is painted. The two other major union leaders, Juan Hubieres and Ramon Perez Figuero have opposed the suggestion. Mochotran president Alfredo Linares said that such a move would alleviate the scarcity of vehicles during the morning rush hour. According to information from AMET, there are 14,300 vehicles officially registered under the new rules. Supposedly, there are more than 20,000 little cars that transport people over established routes. AMET spokesman Colonel Damian Arias said that he was sure that not all the cars would be painted by 17 October when the system is supposed to begin.
Clave Digital reports that there are 786 routes under the control of 312 syndicates, 226 associations, 14 cooperatives, 53 unions, 33 companies, 22 federations, three confederations and five transport centrals. The online news service says that during the 2000-2004 administration of former President Hipolito Mejia, authorizations for new routes increased from 162 to 235. The news service points out that the operation of these new routes cause permanent disputes that are often violent, between competing groups and make transport in Santo Domingo even more chaotic. Clave Digital calls the public transport system, “a business without any controls.”
See http://www.clavedigital.com/Portada/Articulo.asp?Id_Articulo=6226