On the Senate floor, senator Hector Acosta asked Milton Morrison, the head of the Intrant agency, the one that controls traffic and transportation in the Dominican Republic, why there were traffic cops directing traffic when the traffic lights were working perfectly.
Morrison was testifying with regards to the very large numbers of traffic fatalities that have placed the Dominican Republic number one in the world in “Fatalities per 100,00 km of highways.” In January and February 2025, over 350 persons died on the nation’s roadways. The question posed to Morrison has always been on the minds of millions of commuters when stuck in traffic jams.
Morrison did not have an answer to the question. He said that he frequently asked himself the same question before becoming the head of the National Institute for Traffic and Transportation (Intrant). He noted that in the agency he directs, his people work with the General Direction of Traffic Safety Agency (Digesett), which, in turn, is informed which streets should be patrolled.
During the Senate hearing, he spoke of how the Intrant came about after the passing of Transport Law 63-17 in 2017. Before that, there was the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (AMET) which was both regulator and authority. Under the new law, there is Intrant, which regulates, and Digesett which ensures compliance to the law. Morrison said that he would prefer the old way of doing things.
Speaking before the Senate, Morrison said that there were two major problems impacting the very high accident/fatality rate: traffic education and the system of consequences. He said that 75% of the issue rests on the consequences of violating the traffic codes: fines and arrests. He went on to say that in many cases the newspapers should not call traffic fatalities ‘accidents’ but rather ‘sinister’ or ‘evil’ events, since driving under the influence (DUI) is not accidental. He concluded that without serious consequences, the current system has loopholes and limitations that do not allow it to operate fully.
Morrison defended the deficiencies of Digesett, saying the entity has neither the tow trucks nor enough personnel to carry out its work.
Digesett is frequently criticized for its force directing traffic under traffic lights and several agents gathered at key intersections to catch vehicle drivers making traffic violations. Just as well, Digesett agents are notorious for looking the other way when motorcycle drivers flagrantly run red lights and make other traffic violations with no consequences.
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El Nuevo Diario
25 March 2025