SANTO DOMINGO.- Public transport drivers and the Industry and Commerce Ministry agreed to provide the subsidy on diesel according to their routes, said Ramon Perez Figuereo, president of the of the union CNTU yesterday.

The regulation applies the Government’s subsidy for up to one million gallons of tax-exempt fuel to drivers and which, according to Perez Figuereo, could be implemented by next week. On Monday, Juan Hubieres, president of the union Fenatrano, demanded this modality to supply the diesel as a way to prevent corruption.

Blas Peralta, head of the truckers union Fenatrado, said the diesel will be taken to the tanks the unions have to be sold there at 102 pesos per gallon to their routes’ drivers, and supervised by Industry and Commerce personnel. "The license plate, hour and route of each vehicle will be written down and then we’ll pass an invoice on to the Hacienda Ministry for the amount of gallons which we received."

The daily average consumption per route is from 30 to 40 gallons of diesel.

Although not one of the "allies of the Government," Hubieres will also have to meet with Industry and Commerce minister Melanio Paredes, to give him a list of his union’s routes and vehicles, and insists that not one gallon of diesel should be given to the unions.