HOLY SUNDAY.-To counteract the 3,000 annual deaths recorded in the country, which also leave some 123,000 injured, in addition to the vehicular chaos that prevails in the main cities, the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transportation (Intrant) is preparing to launch on November 18 the Pact for Road Safety.
After considering that the traffic problem should be declared an “emergency” because it generates more loss of life than those caused by Covid-19, Milton Morrison, executive director of the entity, appealed to the conscience of the population to contribute to improving the situation, since drivers do not even flinch with fines to disrespect the law.
Taking into account that, according to the latest report from the Pan American Health Organization, the Dominican Republic is ranked 13th worldwide in terms of traffic accidents, Intrant is committed to implementing a series of measures with which it intends to reverse this evil with the participation of all related sectors.
“This will give way to the construction of a National Road Safety Plan 2025-2030, with the participation of all sectors of national life in order to contribute to lowering these meanings,” Morrison commented.
The official spoke at the Weekly Lunch of the Corripio Communications Group, where he was together with Alexandra Cedeño, director of Sustainable Mobility; Andiel Galván, director of Road Safety; Jhonathan Chevalier, Cabinet; Joel Gneco, of Transit and Signaling, as well as Adonis Díaz, Press Officer.
Initiatives
He reported that before December they are preparing to put into operation the Traffic Light Control Center that will operate and be controlled by the institution to resume actions that were limited after the sabotage of the system that occurred last August.
“Those measures that will improve traffic flow have been studied, modeled and intersections identified,” he said. They will also promote the Permanent Road Safety Observatory, since this source of statistical information has revealed the days, times and places in which the greatest number of traffic accidents occur.
They will also use the Waze technological platform, for the issue of traffic, for which they have their own license, and from there study which are the most critical points where the greatest amount of traffic occurs, intervene and establish a channel of communication that guides drivers along the smoothest routes.
vehicle inspection
Another important measure will be the implementation of the Technical Vehicle Inspection, starting in 2025, established in Law 63-17, which will contribute to reducing accidents by 30 to 40 percent, since many are related to deterioration. of the units.
“We are relaunching the National School of Driver Education, which obviously has a role, we have already met with the Ministry of Education, and we are collaborating to insert the Subject of Driver Education in schools,” said Morrison after announcing that the students at After completing high school, they will come out with their learning role, since they will do their 60 hours of social service in driver’s education practices.
Breathalyzers
Among other measures, they began the pilot plan for the use of breathalyzers on Winston Churchill Avenue, which will be progressively expanded with the training of the corresponding personnel and that once it is launched, people who are detected consuming alcohol while driving could receive fines of RD$10,000 up to 100 thousand pesos. For this purpose, 40 Digesett agents will be trained.
Another measure is the inspection of heavy vehicles, in addition to resuming their weighing, since they assume greater loads than those established by the units, and that is another of the factors that affect accidents.
Interconnection
— Decongestion
Other improvement plans cited line extensions for the Metro, metropolitan train, monorail, cable car and bus corridors that will help decongest the roads. From December to January, Duarte and Independencia begin.
They will inspect motorcycles, 55% of the vehicle fleet
Motorbike. They will resume the registration of motorcycles that began in 2001, which reached about 800 thousand units, according to reports.
“Now there is a technical table in which the Ministry of the Interior and Police, the Digesett, 9-1-1, the Attorney General’s Office and the DGII participate, and it is precisely the issue that has occupied us in the last two weeks.
Law 63-17 says that mayors have to carry out a municipal registry, but also that the national motor registry is the responsibility of the DGII, we as Intrant with well-finished proposals, it was decided that the DGII is in charge,” Morrison commented.
He said that they are paying attention because of a park with 5 million units, they are 55%. They are in charge of Technical Vehicle Inspection.