Why a public-private alliance for vehicle technical inspection? Sigmund Freund responds

Just one week ago today, the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (intranet) and the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships (DGAPP), presented what will be the execution of the Vehicle Technical Inspection (ITV)to be implemented soon in the country as established by Law 63-17.

And since then, much has been debated in the country, one of the main questions being why the Government chose to replace what was previously known as a magazine with a public-private partnership model.

In this regard, today the executive director of the General Directorate of Public Private Partnerships (DGAPP), Sigmund Freund, explained that in the Dominican Republic there is a real need for vehicle supervision because it is one of the countries with the highest number of traffic accidents.

“It has been proven that 40% of traffic accidents occur due to vehicle problems related to tires and brakes,” he responded when interviewed by Adalberto Grullón and Millizen Uribe on the Uno+Uno program on Teleantillas.

Indeed, according to reports provided by the Military and Police Commission (Comipol), between 2021 and 2022, in the assistance service that occurs on roads and highways, Most of the 1,608,759 roadside assistances were caused by mechanical problems and bad tires.

About the costs

In relation to the cost, another of the points that has been questioned, the executive director of the General Directorate of Public Private Partnerships He indicated that this project is worth around 70 million dollars at the national level and that in the event that it is implemented via the State, a fee would also have to be charged for the maintenance of the system.

On the observation that the rate is higher than the tag, Freund recognized that it is an additional sacrifice to the citizen. However, he added that the amount is similar to what a taxi driver spends daily on fuel.

It may interest you: What will be the fee for the Vehicle Technical Inspection? intrant responds

The role of the state

Asked about the implication of technical vehicle inspection via public-private partnerships in the weakening of the State, Freund said that in all the countries in the world that are implementing the system, the States assume it.

“We have to understand that the State is not here to run workshops. The function of the State is to create public policies that benefit society and to oversee and supervise”, he said.

decision not made

Director of Public Private Partnerships He stated that the vehicle technical inspection program was presented and socialized with opinion leaders and society, but that there is still no decision on whether it will be launched or if the Intrant will ultimately assume it as such.

It may interest you: Intrant believes ITV would take thousands of scraps out of circulation in the DR

other aspects

Previously, Freund said that the ITV project has been accompanied by a series of implementations to offer greater road safety to citizens and, in turn, to improve the quality of the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

He added that within the advantages of the Vehicle Technical Inspection, to be carried out after the consensus of the National Council of Public Private Alliances, who is concerned with approving the tender, is the non-adulteration of motor vehicle chassis.

According to the Regulations, this technical review must be carried out only in the official facilities designated for these purposes, after exhausting the due bidding process as established by the Law 63-17, of Mobility, Land Transportation, Transit and Road Safety of the DR.

He reported that ITV will create more than 1,200 direct jobs for professionals with related technical training, and which will also guarantee customer service with high-capacity facilities and technological elements that favor standardization.