Although the Santo Domingo Metro Office (Opret) issued a statement that claims that more than 90% of the mass transit system’s elevators and escalators are working, reporters from Diario Libre found that this may not be accurate.
Diario Libre reported that technicians were working on this equipment at the Maria Montez Station, where none were working for the public. The case of the Maria Montez station is particularly bothersome, with patrons declaring that it has been over six months since the escalators stopped working and this is particularly hard on the elderly and those with mobility issues.
In fact, a survey taken by the newspaper noted that of the 212 escalators in the system, there were 11 out of service at mid-week. These were joined by 17 of the 104 elevators, also out of service.
Other stations with only partial service with this equipment were the Centro de los Heroes, the Juan Pablo Duarte, and the Pedro Livio Cedeño.
When consulted, Opret officials said that the broken parts have been ordered, but the purchasing office has been very slow. Some of these persons noted that the equipment purchased in the first place were not of the best quality for the job.
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Diario Libre
20 June 2022