President Luis Abinader was present for the official start of the Student Transportation Program (TRAE) on Monday, 23 October 2023. The program seeks to guarantee the safety of children while relieving the family budget from transportation costs and reducing student dropout rates.
The government announced that the program has begun with at least 278 buses. Another 400 buses will be added to transport students to school before December 2023.
The program had started with a pilot program on 10 January 2023 in nine communities with 50 buses. The pilot program was successful. 110 buses were added in Greater Santo Domingo, 105 in Hato Mayor and San Cristóbal and 13 in Villa Altagracia, in northern Santo Domingo.
In Santo Domingo province, Trae is operating in Villa Mella, Sierra Prieta, Bella Vista, Guanuma, Jacobo Majluta, Sabana Perdida, La Victoria, Guerra, Mendoza, Isabelita, Villa Duarte, Maquiteria, Ralma, Los Tres Ojos and Mandinga. Also in Alma Rosa, Invivienda, el Almirante, Villa Esfuerzo, Boca Chica, Andrés, Brisa de Caucedo, La Caleta and El Valiente neighborhoods.
In the National District, it operates in El Millón, La Paz, La Yuca, Cristo Rey, Los Ríos, La Puya, 30 de Mayo, La Feria, Los Kilómetros, Los Girasoles, Los Peralejos, Zona Colonial, Villa Francisca, Ensanche Naco, Gazcue, Los Praditos and Miraflores.
The next phase calls for incorporating another 120 in Greater Santo Domingo before 23 November.
Furthermore, the program calls for contracting 500 more buses in the next three months, 100 of them from small and medium-sized transport companies. The program will be extended to Santiago de los Caballeros (165 units), Duarte (45), Puerto Plata (73), La Altagracia (52), La Romana (40), San Pedro de Macorís ( 36), San Juan de la Maguana (39) and Barahona (50).
“We hope that by February of next year the entire country will be included in Trae’s program,” President Abinader said when speaking at the official program start. At least 700 more buses are needed to reach 1,600 units in the program.
Onesimo González, director of the project, explained that 850 drivers, assistants and supervisors have been trained in road safety, defensive driving, human relations, human rights and first aid.
He said an intelligent system will monitor vehicles on the street in real-time. The buses are fitted with a GPS and video cameras.
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Diario Libre
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
24 October 2023