The National Central of Unified Transporters (CNTU) has officially launched a pilot nighttime bus service dubbed the “Third Shift” (Tercer Horario). Fares are RD$45. The initiative aims to modernize urban mobility in Santo Domingo and bolster the local economy by providing transit during hours when the city typically grinds to a halt.
Operating strictly between 11pm and 5am, the service fills the vacuum left by the Santo Domingo Metro and traditional bus lines that do not offer the service on those hours. The route is designed to support late-shift workers and nighttime commuters who previously relied on expensive private taxis or faced safety risks while commuting in the dark.
CNTU president William Pérez Figuereo characterized the initiative as a “social duty” rather than a profit-driven venture.
“In this first stage, we are operating under a license we have held for 30 years for the John F. Kennedy route, which spans from the El Abanico entrance in Constanza to Duarte with París,” Figuereo explained. “For the nighttime circuit, we are currently extending it as far as Kilometer 28 of the Duarte Highway.”
The service is expected to benefit employees and patrons of approximately 500 establishments along the Duarte Highway and John F. Kennedy Avenue corridor. By providing reliable transport, the CNTU hopes these businesses can extend their hours, effectively shifting some economic activity, and traffic, away from the congested daytime hours.
To ensure passenger safety, Figuereo has made a formal appeal to the director of the National Police, Major General Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta, and Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre. The request seeks a strategic surveillance and patrol scheme to protect drivers and users, mitigating the inherent risks of nocturnal transit.
The launch has not been without friction. A coalition of rival transport unions has voiced fierce opposition, claiming the “Third Shift” encroaches on their exclusive territorial rights.
The dissenting groups accuse Figuereo of “inventing” a corridor to invade their workspace without proper authorization. In a joint statement, the competing transporters warn they will “never allow themselves to be displaced” from the John F. Kennedy corridor, where they have operated for years.
The protesting entities have called upon the executive director of the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant) to clarify the legal status of the new route and resolve the confusion that has sparked the new transport tensions.
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Noticias SIN
8 January 2026