Despite a public defense from the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transport (Intrant), a controversial speed reduction ramp installed on the Avenida George Washington (the Malecón) continues to draw intense fire from the public, with critics arguing the measure was implemented without adequate warning or public consultation. The widespread complaints highlight a critical safety lapse that appears to be fueling, rather than preventing, accidents.
The inherent danger of the new structure was dramatically underscored this week when a vehicle slammed into an electrical pole in the Eugenio de Hostos Park. The condition of the driver remains unknown, but the incident serves as a grim warning of the ramp’s potential to cause serious harm.
While complaints focus heavily on the structure’s abruptness, some local residents support the ramp, arguing it is a necessary deterrent to high-speed traffic, particularly in an area frequented by children. “Let them pass through here late at night at high speed, and there are many children around. It is well done,” one resident countered.
Regardless of the ramp’s effectiveness in curbing speed, the overwhelming consensus is that its current installation is dangerously incomplete. The most pressing issue is the lack of visible, advance warning signage. Without clear, well-placed signs alerting drivers to the sharp change in road elevation, the ramp acts as a sudden, violent obstacle, a deadly hazard for unsuspecting motorists.
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Noticias SIN
11 December 2025