A report in Hoy newspaper says that more than 600,000 vehicles circulate in the DR, a nation of approximately 8 million people. 584,090 vehicles are registered with the Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII), the government department that issues license plates. This is up from 470,773 vehicles at year’s end of 1996. From 1974 to 1993, the number of vehicles grew 145%, with private vehicles increasing 246%. In addition, one million motorbikes circulate on city streets. Santo Domingo, Santiago and La Vega concentrate the most vehicles, with 508,088. In Santo Domingo (National District) there are some 436,148 units in circulation. 30% of the country’s population lives in the capital city. Santiago, with a population of 710,803 in 1993, has 59,844 vehicles registered. La Vega, has 12,096 vehicles registered. Espaillat has 8,272, Duarte 7,863, La Romana 6,838, Puerto Plata 6,239, San Cristóbal 5,492, San Pedro de Macorís 5,024. Provinces with less than 1,000 vehicles registered are Monte Plata, Pedernales, Independencia, El Seibo, Elías Piña, Dajabón and Bahoruco, the poorest in the nation.
