Santo Domingo – The president of the Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP), Eduardo Hidalgo welcomed the announcement by the presidency of the republic to offer transportation school to students, while explaining that it is not a new initiative, since it exists in 8 regions of the country.
“We, looking at how it is strengthened, welcome the measure, it is not a new initiative, our concern is that it has not been said how this program is going to be strengthened, if it is with buses from the ministry, drivers and trained policemen, because they are going to transport boys, girls and adolescents,” added Hidalgo.
He clarified that the school program has been implemented since March 2016, inaugurated in the corridor of the Duarte highway that covers the route from Los Alcarrizos to Navarrete, with 28 buses that benefit almost 5 thousand students from 8 Educational Districts, 5 Regional Education from 5 provinces of the country.
The teacher’s leader advocated establishing the criteria and informing what it will consist of, suggesting that the model of the United States and other countries be adopted, with qualified personnel, from the ministry, and that it be explained how it will be implemented.
Eduardo Hidalgo said that the government can increase the school transportation program each year according to the established poverty map and in this way it will be able to impact the municipalities that require it.
He recalled that the existing program benefits some 4,784 students who board transportation at 7 in the morning and at 3:30 in the afternoon and includes Los Alcarrizos, Pedro Brand, Villa Altagracia to Navarrete.
About beginnings of the plan
At the beginning of April 2015, the Minerd began a pilot plan called “Corredor Duarte”, with a fleet of 24 buses, which was increased according to needs.
The plan was intended to prevent accidents involving students going to school through the Duarte highway.
The investment of these vehicles was RD$187.7 million, to benefit in a first stage 1,378 boys and girls from the schools located on the highway route. The route originally had 86 stops on the south-north path and 88 return stops.
The beneficiaries of the Los Alcarrizos municipality belong to the Joaquín Balaguer, Amparo García Molina, Republic of Jamaica schools, among others. Students from Villa Altagracia, Bonao, La Vega and Navarrete, in Santiago, are also transported.
