SANTO DOMINGO.- The fare to ride the Santo Domingo Metro will cost from 15  to 20 pesos and it’s users won’t be allowed to consume foods, spirits, smoke and not even chew gum, said Transport Office (Opret) director Diandino Peña today.

He said the start of normal operations is still many months way. "We are working in some processes to get it commercially operational before the end of 2008," and won’t allow vendors and scroungers, “to convert the stations into ghettos.”

President Leonel Fernandez will board the train together with legislators and other officials at the station in front of the Congress building, after his speech before the National Assembly, and ride it until the final stop at Villa Mella, he said.

Yesterday technicians from Spain, France and Germany conducted a test run to certify if it’s ready for the chief executive’s ride. "The Spanish technicians assured president Fernandez he can ride it without any concerns.

The official said they the country already has a modern, safe transport system, built in record time. He said the Metro’s electrical energy will come from 19 units of its own, nine of which are already installed, and will also be fed with lines from the Itabo, EG-Haina and Palamara plants.

"This transport system will benefit the environment because it will lower pollution and will also bring a new culture; it will promote coexistence, integration, because to the users will be instructed on norms in the Metro," he said in a interview for ColorVision, Channel 9.

“In the short term this is going to get people to understand that shouldn’t doodle the walls of its stations, shouldn’t smoke nor throw cigarette butts on the floor, shuldnt eat meals in the train nor chew Chiclets, because they’ll understand that this medium will benefit their community," Peña said.