Hugo Beras, the new director of the National Institute of Transport & Transit (Intrant) is optimistic citizens will soon see positive outcome from the implementation of the Support to the Greater Santo Domingo Urban Sustainable Mobility Plan (Aipmus).
On occasion of the Week of Sustainable Mobility, Beras made a presentation accompanied by Minister of the Presidency Joel Santos, who is working with the public-private initiatives in this direction. Minister Santos spoke of the RD$60 billion the government will have invested in the ambitious transport plan by 2025.
Around three million people commute daily in Greater Santo Domingo, of which 36% use public transport. Beras highlighted the Abinader administration is working to improve the public transport infrastructure.
Beras understands the start of the Park Where You Should (Parqueate Bien) initiative has been positive. On a first day, 34 vehicles were towed. 13 streets in the Poligono Central have been marked with parking-related signage. The intention is to reduce double parking on city streets to contribute to reducing congested streets.
Nevertheless, National District deputy Tobías Crespo said that the Law 63-17 included provisions for the government to cover the cost of the tow trucks. He complained “Parqueate Bien” is a private business, as reported in Diario Libre.
A report in Hoy explains that the problem in part has been created by the years-long lack of application of rules in effect by government institutions. Dozens of businesses have been authorized to open on city streets without these allocating areas for parking as mandated by rules in effect.
Likewise, the government bank, Ban Reservas was a leader in the campaigns for low financing for people to buy vehicles. This has led to an excess in vehicles especially in Greater Santo Domingo.
Moreover, institutions such as the Digesett have not enforced parking and while No Parking signs are all over the city, people regularly ignore these because the authorities have not been enforcing the ruling for years. Likewise, apartment buildings no longer leave spaces for visitors, and do not provide sufficient parking spaces for the occupants of the apartments, leaving many to park on adjacent streets.
Add to this that parking garages are scarce and public transport is lagging behind the demand, and you have the present situation that has led thousands to double park creating a more congested city.
Meanwhile, El Caribe reports that the residents in areas under the siege of double parking are very pleased with the Park Where You Should (Parqueate Bien) initiative. Residents say it has brought relief from people parking at their accesses and people no longer have to walk on the streets to get around the vehicles irregularly parked.
The Metro Office (Opret) reports that on Monday, 26 September 2022 a new record in users was set. 379,622 people were paying customers of the Santo Domingo Metro on that single day.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Acento
N Digital
Hoy
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
El Caribe
29 September 2022