Hundreds of people were left stranded for four hours on Monday, 26 November 2017, when the National Transport Federation (Fenatrano), a large bus affiliates company, carried out an unannounced “warm up drill” for their announced Tuesday, 27 November 2018 national strike.
At Kilometer 9 of the Juan Pablo Duarte Highway, the public shared taxis and buses belonging to the union were parked at the side of the road. The same occurred in Santo Domingo East on the Mendoza highway at Kilometer Nine towards Sabana Perdida and Villa Mella. One driver said that they were called and told to stop work.
As a consequence the Metro was overcrowded and there were long lines of passengers.
Fenatrano leader has dismissed the decline in fuel prices over the past 15 weeks. He said with the barrel of fuel costing US$54, the gallon of gasoline should be no more than RD$70, propane no more than RD$37 and diesel around RD$80 per gallon.
Fenatrano confirmed that grounds for the strike are still valid and thus the transport work stoppage will occur as scheduled on Tuesday, 27 November.
Meanwhile, Marcha Verde, the anti-impunity national movement, announced it is backing the peaceful strike on Tuesday to protest the continued increase in the prices of propane. Marcha Verde says Dominicans pay the highest prices in Central America for the cooking fuel. Marcha Verde says there is a business-political deal behind the high prices of propane and has called for an investigation into the financial dealings of former minister of Industry & Commerce, Jose del Castillo Saviñon, whose declared wealth went from RD$160 million in 2012 to RD$377 million in 2018.
The state university UASD announced it was suspending administrative and academic activities for Tuesday, 27 November 2018.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
27 November 2018
