Traffic jams are reaching historic and unbearable levels, as students and employees suffer through hour long commutes that should only take 15 minutes – and these delays are often during “off peak hours,” a report in Diario Libre explains. Statistics from the Tax Agency (DGII) show that in 2017 approximately 41% of all of the vehicles registered in the country are circulating in Greater Santo Domingo. Santiago, the nation’s second largest city, has but 8.5% of the national total of vehicles.
Experts say that the high concentration of motor vehicles, in combination of the lack of prudence of many concho (multi-fare sharing taxis) drivers who pick up and drop off passengers at any place and at any time, lead to impossible traffic snarls and delays.
Among the dangerous habits are passengers who want to be dropped off at the beginning of an overpass to not walk too far. Then there is the dangerous habit of using two and even three lanes to make a left turn. There is also the habit of cutting across lanes to get on an overpass. And most of this goes on under the noses of traffic cops who just shrug their shoulders and say “So what, man?”
This chaotic situation has motivated officials and the general public alike to take action against the chaos in our city streets. One such proposal would require all schools, public and private, to provide for transportation for their students. This is especially aimed at the private schools where parents regularly take their kids to school and then these same parents double or triple-park as they wait for their children in front of the schools in the afternoon, creating many of the traffic tie-ups seen throughout the city.
Another proposal is to divide working hours into two shifts: One would start at 7am, and end at 2pm and the second would start at 2pm and end at 9pm.
For Oneximo Gonzalez, an expert in traffic and mobility, the traffic situation in Greater Santo Domingo is the result of the lack of an integrated public transportation system. He said that it would take determination and “political courage” to solve the problem in the short term, from three to five years.” Until this happens, the people keep finding ways to get around the tie-ups.
The Diario Libre newspaper did a survey in social media in order to find out how their readers worked around the loss of time, money and patience. This revealed that the Santo Domingo Metro, now with two lines running, frees up space on the surface and operates from 6am until 10:30pm and carries nearly 300,000 people a day to places in north, east and Greater Santo Domingo. The people surveyed said that the savings in time and money is evident. Riders of the Metro move at high speed under city streets and save between RD$5.00 and RD$30.00 per ride. However not all is not rosy in the Metro either. There are numerous complaints regarding crowding at peak hours at key Metro stops and passengers are noting the lack of upkeep on elevators and escalators. Also, heavy rains have caused the Office for the Reorganization of Transportation (OPRET) to shut down the system on occasion.
To many, the new cable car over the river that serves four stations over 5 kilometers in Gualey, Tres Brazos Sabana Perdida and Charles DeGaulle Avenue and environs is a blessing.
Ride-sharing is also something that is generally done within a family or a neighborhood if the neighbors work near each other. It has become monetized through social media as in South America and the United States. In the DR, this might become an issue with the high levels of criminal activity.
The survey also showed that experienced taxi drivers find short cuts for many destinations within the city. There are also persons who use apps that reveal traffic tie-ups and alternate routes. Much of this information is broadcast over the radio on the more popular stations. Bicycles are an alternative for moderate distance and are becoming more evident, according to the survey.
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Diario Libre
26 December 2018
